ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN MAP LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES
BULLETIN
ASSOCIATION DES CARTOTHÈQUES ET ARCHIVES CARTOGRAPHIQUES
DU CANADA
NUMBER 155 / WINTER 2017 NUMERO 155 / HIVER 2017
ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN MAP LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES /
ASSOCIATION DES CARTOTHÈQUES ET ARCHIVES CARTOGRAPHIQUES DU CANADA
MEMBERSHIP in the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and
Archives is open to both individuals and institutions having an interest
in maps and the aims and objectives of the Association. Membership
dues are for the calendar year and are as follows:
Full (Canadian map field)... $45.00
Associate (anyone interested)... $45.00 ($35 US)
Institutional... $65.00 ($50 US)
Student... $20.00
Members receive the ACMLA Bulletin, the official journal of the
Association, which is published three times a year.
Officers of the Association for 2016/2017 are:
Peuvent devenir MEMBRES de l’Association des cartothèques et
archives cartographiques du Canada tout individu et toute institutions
qui s’intéressent aux cartes ainsi qu’aux objectifs de l’Association.
La cotisation annuelle est la suivante:
Membres actifs(cartothécaires canadiens à plein temps)... 45$
Membres associés (tout les intéressées)... 45,00$
Institutions... 65,00$
Étudiant... 20,00$
Le Bulletin de l’ACACC sera envoye aux membres trois fois par
annee.
Les MEMBRES DU BUREAU de l’Association pour
l’anne 2016/2017 sont:
Views expressed in the Bulletin are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the
view of the Association.
The Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives gratefully acknowledges the financial
support given by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Les opinions exprimées dans le Bullein sont celles des collaborateurs et ne correspondent pas
nécessairement à celles de l’Association.
L’Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada remercie le Conseil de
recherches en sciences humaines du Canada pour son apport financier.
1st Vice President / 1er Vice-Président
Vacant
Past President / Président sortant
Siobhan Hanratty
Data/GIS Librarian
Government Documents, Data, and Maps
UNB Libraries
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
hanratty@unb.ca
Treasurer / Trésorier
Rebecca Bartlett
GIS and Digital Resources Librarian
MADGIC, Carleton University Library
Carleton University, Ottawa, ON
treasurer@acmla-acacc.ca
Secretary / Secrétaire
Julie Jones
GIS & Map Librarian | Librarian for Geography
Research Commons, W.A.C. Bennett Library
Simon Fraser University
secretary@acmla-acacc.ca
President / Président
Deena Yanofsky
Liaison Librarian
Humanities & Social Sciences Library
McGill University, Montréal, Québec
president@acmla-acacc.ca
Vice President Communications and Outreach / vice-président aux
Communications et Rayonnement
Tracy Sallaway
Data and GIS Support Specialist
Maps, Data & Government Information Centre - Data & GIS
Thomas J. Bata Library
Trent University, Peterborough, ON
tracysallaway@trentu.ca
Vice President Professional Development / vice-président au
Développement professionel
Jason Brodeur
Manager, Maps/Data/GIS
Mills Memorial Library
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
brodeujj@mcmaster.ca
ACMLA MAILING ADDRESS / ACACC ADRESSE D’AFFAIRES
Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives /
Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada
PO Box 60095
University of Alberta Postal Outlet
Edmonton AB T6G 2S4
http://www.acmla.org
ACMLA Bulletin index available at http://toby.library.ubc.ca/resources/infopage.cfm?id=187
BULLETIN DE L’ACACC
NUMÉRO 155 HIVER 2017
ACMLA BULLETIN
NUMBER 155 WINTER 2017
Table of Contents
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE - Deena Yanofsky 2
CARTO 2017 : CALL FOR PAPERS 3
MAPPING 18TH & 19TH CENTURY LAND SURVEYS 10
- Nicholas Boyko
BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO OLD HISTORICAL 19
GIS DATA - Marcel Fortin
EMBELLIR POUR MIEUX DIRE : DES ORNEMENTS
SUR LA CARTE DE L’AMÉRIQUE DE JODOCUS HONDIUS
(1606) - Alban Berson 22
REVIEWS 29
Atlas Obscura: an explorer’s guide to the world’s hidden
wonders - Rebecca Bartlett
Atlas of Design, Volume Three - Rhys Stevens
Making Sense in Geography and Environmental Sciences:
A Student’s Guide to Research and Writing - Julie Jones
Oxford Atlas of the World, Twenty-third Edition
- Tracy Sallaway
REGIONAL NEWS - Tomasz Mrozewski 34
NEW MAPS - Cheryl Woods 37
GEOSPATIAL DATA AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS - 39
Ontario Open Data - Andrew Nicholson
GIS TRENDS - Barbara Znamirowski 41
Editor:
Eva Dodsworth
Geospatial Data Services Librarian
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1
tel: (519) 888-4567 x 36931
email: edodsworth@uwaterloo.ca
New Books and Atlases Editor:
Vacant
New Maps Editor:
Cheryl Woods
Map & Data Centre
Western University
London, Ontario N6A 5C2
tel: (519) 661-3424
email: cawoods@uwo.ca
Book Reviews Editor:
Sarah Simpkin
GIS and Geography Librarian
University of Ottawa
309E, Bibliothèque Morisset Library
sarah.simpkin@uottawa.ca
Regional News Editor:
Tomasz Mrozewski
Data, GIS and Government Documents
Librarian / Bibliothécaire pour les
données, les services géospatials et les
documents gouvernementaux
Bibliothèque J.N. Desmarais Library
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6
tmrozewski@laurentian.ca
Geospatial Data and Software
Reviews Editor:
Andrew Nicholson
GIS/Data Librarian
University of Toronto at Mississauga
3359 Mississauga Rd. North
Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6
email: anichols@utm.utoronto.ca
GIS Trends Editor:
Barbara Znamirowski
Maps, Data and Government Information
Centre (MaDGIC)
Thomas J. Bata Library
TRENT UNIVERSITY
Peterborough, Ontario
Canada K9J 7B8
bznamirowski@trentu.ca
ON THE COVER...
Map of Busy Berlin [now Kitchener, Ontario]. The Map Company. Toronto,1912.
Published in 1989 by ACMLA. Reproduction sponsored by the Waterloo Regional
Heritage Foundation. ACML Facsimile Map Series No. 130 (ISSN 0827-8024)
Map of Busy Berlin [aujourd’hui Kitchener, Ontario]. The Map Company. Toronto,1912.
Publié en 1989 par l’ACACC. Reproduction parrainée par la Waterloo Regional Heritage
Foundation. Série de cartes fac- similes de l’ ACC. carte No. 130(ISSN 0827-8024).
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
With winter coming to an end and spring fast approaching, it means that conference season is right
around the corner. This year's 51st CARTO will be hosted by Simon Fraser University in beautiful
Vancouver, British Columbia. The theme of the conference, Digital Revolutions | Analog Renaissance,
brings together two familiar tensions to those of us working with physical and digital collections:
the need for extensive print collections versus the increasing ubiquity of digital versions, and the
changing expectations for managing and distributing this information. As geospatial information
specialists working in libraries and archives, it can be a challenge to keep a foot in both worlds.
In the best cases this challenge can be a productive one, as we realize the potential of physical
collections in an increasingly digital ecosystem.
At this time, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the 2016-2017 ACMLA Executive for their time,
dedication and tremendous contributions – we have a number of new and significant initiatives
coming, including CARTO 2017 and 2018, a digital ACMLA Bulletin, a new translation officer position,
and a revised mentorship program.
Looking forward to seeing you all in Vancouver,
Deena
Deena Yanofsky
President, Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives
Avec la fin de l'hiver et l’approche rapide du printemps, cela signifie que la saison des congrès nous
arrive rapidement. Cette année, la 51e CARTO sera accueillie par l'Université Simon Fraser dans la
belle ville de Vancouver (Colombie-Britannique). Le thème du congrès, Révolutions numériques |
Renaissance analogique, réunit deux tensions familières à nous qui travaillons avec des collections
physiques et numériques: la nécessité de vastes collections imprimés contre l'augmentation
de l'ubiquité des versions numériques et l'évolution des attentes en matière de gestion et de
distribution de ces informations. En tant que des spécialistes de l'information géospatiales qui
travaillent en bibliothèques et archives, il est peut être un défi de trouver l’équilibre entre les deux
mondes. Dans le meilleur des cas, ce défi peut être productif, car nous nous rendons compte du
potentiel des collections physiques dans un écosystème de plus en plus numérique.
À l'heure actuelle, je veux profiter de l'occasion pour remercier le Conseil exécutif de l'ACACC de
2016-2017 pour son temps, son dévouement et ses énormes contributions. Nous avons un certain
nombre de nouvelles initiatives et d’importants travaux, dont la CARTO 2017 et 2018, un ACACC
Bulletin numérique, un nouveau poste d’agent de traduction, et un programme de mentorat révisé.
Au plaisir de vous voir à Vancouver,
Deena
Deena Yanofsky
Présidente, Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
3
Carto 2017
51st Annual Conference of the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives
(ACMLA)
Digital Revolutions | Analog Renaissance
Conference hosted by Simon Fraser University
20-23 June, 2017
Vancouver | Burnaby, British Columbia
www.acmla-acacc.ca/carto2017/
Call for papers
The digital revolution has brought about considerable change for both users and stewards of cartographic
and geospatial information: Advances in imaging technologies have facilitated a mass digital migration of
physical collections; the rise of “born digital” cartographic and geospatial information has transformed
how collections are developed and used; and, expanding mandates for open scholarship are actively
changing the expectations for managing and distributing this information. While this “digital transition”
has introduced novel opportunities for gathering, investigating and sharing, it has also presented a
variety of new challenges to be addressed. In addition, the expansion of digital collections has not left
their analog counterparts obsolete; rather, it has provided an opportunity for critical reflection on the
role of physical collections, and their persisting value to research, pedagogy and public engagement.
At this time, the Carto 2017 conference organizers invite librarians, library staff, archivists, geographic
information specialists and other interested individuals to submit proposals for papers, panels and workshops
that explore the opportunities and challenges associated with digital and analog collections, and consider
the role of each in the future of their professions.
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
• Reflecting on and reimagining the role of physical collections in a progressively digital ecosystem.
• Opportunities and approaches for integrating map collections and archival material into research, public
engagement and instruction.
• Approaches, resources, and tools that support all stages of cartographic material digitization.
• Realizing the potential of digitized collections by integrating digital materials, contextual information and
platforms to improve discovery, access, and intelligibility.
• Managing geospatial collections and research data, and addressing challenges associated with using,
describing, archiving, preserving and providing access to this information.
• Enhancing the digital experience: Considering the shortcomings of digital immersion and implementing
approaches that improve user experience with digital cartographic materials.
• Telling stories with cartographic materials: Approaches and applications to engage and educate audiences
in digital and analog formats.
• Advancing digital approaches: Innovative methods for geospatial data analysis and visualization.
The members of the program committee are:
Francine Berish, Queen’s University
Jason Brodeur, McMaster University
Sue McKee, University of Calgary
Andrew Nicholson, University of Toronto Mississauga
Sarah Simpkin, University of Ottawa
Wenonah Van Heyst, Brandon University
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
4
Carto 2017
51e colloque annuel de l’Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques
du Canada (ACACC)
Révolution numérique | Renaissance analogique
Colloque organisé par l’Université Simon Fraser
Du 20 au 23 juin 2017
Vancouver | Burnaby, Colombie-Britannique
www.acmla-acacc.ca/carto2017/
Appel à communications
La révolution numérique a entraîné des changements considérables tant pour les utilisateurs que pour les
administrateurs de l’information cartographique et géospatiale : les progrès des technologies d’imagerie ont
facilité la migration numérique massive des collections physiques; la montée de l’information cartographique
et géospatiale « née numérique » a transformé la façon dont les collections sont développées et utilisées;
et l’élargissement des mandats de libre accès change activement les attentes en matière de gestion et de
diffusion de ces données. Bien que cette « transition numérique » ait introduit de nouvelles possibilités de
collecte, d’enquête et de partage, elle a également présenté une variété de nouveaux défis à relever. De plus,
l’expansion des collections numériques n’a pas laissé obsolètes leurs homologues analogiques. Elle fournit
plutôt une occasion de réflexion critique sur le rôle des collections physiques et leur valeur persistante pour
la recherche, la pédagogie et l’engagement du public.
Les organisateurs du colloque invitent les bibliothécaires, archivistes et autres spécialistes de l’information
géographique à soumettre des propositions de présentations et d’ateliers célébrant les opportunités et les
défis associés avec les collections analogiques et numériques, ainsi que leurs rôles dans l’avenir.
Quelques sujets d’intérêt incluent (mais ne sont pas limités à) :
• Réfléchir et réimaginer le rôle des collections physiques dans un écosystème progressivement numérique.
• Possibilités et approches pour intégrer les collections de cartes et les documents d’archives dans la
recherche, l’engagement du public et l’instruction.
• Approches, ressources et outils qui soutiennent toutes les étapes de la numérisation de documents
cartographiques.
• Réaliser le potentiel des collections numérisées en intégrant des documents numériques, des informations
contextuelles et des plateformes pour améliorer la découverte, l’accès et l’intelligibilité.
• Gérer les collections géospatiales et les données de recherche et relever les défis associés à l’utilisation,
à la description, à l’archivage, à la préservation et à l’accès à ces informations.
• Améliorer l’expérience numérique : considérer les lacunes de l’immersion numérique et mettre en oeuvre
des approches qui améliorent l’expérience de l’utilisateur avec des documents cartographiques numériques.
• Raconter des histoires avec des documents cartographiques : approches et applications pour engager et
éduquer le public en formats numériques et analogiques.
• Avancement des approches numériques : méthodes d’analyse et de visualisation des données géospatiales.
Les membres du comité de programmation sont :
Francine Berish, Queen’s University
Jason Brodeur, McMaster University
Sue McKee, University of Calgary
Andrew Nicholson, University of Toronto Mississauga
Sarah Simpkin, Université d’Ottawa
Wenonah Van Heyst, Brandon University
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
5
Assocation of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives Awards
The ACMLA Awards Committee is responsible for three awards given by the Association. We invite
nominations for these awards and encourage members to participate in the selection of the awards for
outstanding accomplishments in our field.
ACMLA Honours Award
The Awards Committee invites nominations for the ACMLA Honours Award. According to the guidelines
for the award, the nominee should be a person who has made an outstanding contribution in the
field of map/GIS librarianship. The contribution may either be for a specific activity or for general
services and contributions such as continued membership in the Association with active participation
either as an executive officer, committee chairperson, or committee member. Normally, membership
in ACMLA is a prerequisite; however, that does not preclude considering outstanding non-members.
Deadline : 30 April 2017
ACMLA Cathy Moulder Paper Award
To be eligible for the Paper Award, which carries a$200 monetary prize, a feature article of at least three
pages in length, by one or more authors, must have appeared the ACMLA Bulletin during 2016. We are
looking for articles that make a solid contribution to map librarianship, including carto bibliographies.
Originality, uniqueness of subject matter and depth of research will be taken into consideration.
Deadline : 30 April 2017
ACMLA Student Paper Award
As a reminder, the ACMLA Awards Committee would like you to encourage students to submit their papers
for the Student Paper Award. The Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives encourages and
supports activities which further the awareness, use and understanding of geographic information by
Canadians. To this end, post- secondary students are encouraged to submit a paper for the ACMLA Student
Paper Award competition.
The Student Paper Award will consist of a prize of $250 and free membership in the Association for one year.
The award includes an invitation to present the winning paper at the Annual Conference. The Association
will waive registration fees and provide a travel stipend of up to $250. The award will normally be given
on an annual basis to a student from Canada or studying in Canada currently enrolled in a post-secondary
institution (college or university). The essay will be original and unpublished and of no more than 3000
words. Primary consideration for the award will be given to the essay’s originality and its contribution
to new knowledge and insight. Other considerations include the author’s demonstration of the relevance
of the subject, the quality of the presentation and documentation, and the literary merits of the essay.
Deadline : 30 April 2017
For more complete details regarding the awards, please see the ACMLA Awards web page <http://acmla-acacc.
ca/awards.php> or contact: Siobhan Hanratty, ACMLA Awards Committee, hanratty@unb.ca.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
6
Prix de l’ACACC
Le Comité des prix et mérites ACACC est responsable de trois prix décernés par l'Association. Nous invitons
les nominations pour ces prix et encourager les membres à participer à la sélection des prix pour réalisations
exceptionnelles dans notre domaine.
Prix d'excellence de l'ACACC
Le comité des prix et mérites invite les membres de l'ACACC à soumettre la candidature du membre
qui, à leurs avis, est admissible au Prix d'excellence. Selon les régles du concours, l'heureux(se)
élu(e) sera toute personne dont le nom a été retenue en vertu de sa participation considerable au
développement de la profession de cartothécaire. Sa contribution peut se quantifier de différentes
façons: activités particulières ou générales, participation soutenue au sein de l'Association en tant
que membre d'autres comités. Bien que ce concours s'adresse surtout et avant tout aux adhérents
de l'Association, cependant, non-adhérent exceptionneles peuvent être considéré pour le prix.
Date limite pour soumettre votre rédaction : le 30 avril 2017
Cathy Moulder ACMLA Prix d'essai
Selon les règles du concours, l'heureux(se) élu(e), qui recevra une bourse de 200 $, devra avoir publié un
article d'au moins trois pages au sein d'une édition du Bulletin de l’ACACC en 2016. Le comité recherché
principalement les articles ou les carto-bibliographies, qui alimentent et soutiennent le développement de la
discipline Les articles seront jugés selon les critères d'originalité du thème choisi et du niveau de recherche.
Date limite pour soumettre votre rédaction : le 30 avril 2017
Prix annuel de l’ACACC pour article étudiant
Le comité des prix et mérites de l'ACACC tenons à vous pour encourager les étudiants à participer
dans le Prix annuel de l'ACACC pour article étudiant. Le concours est admissible à toute personne
originaire du Canada ou qui étudie au Canada et qui est présentement inscrite à un etablissement post-secondaire
(collège ou université). Les articles doivent être rédigés durant l’année scolaire en cours.
Le prix annuel de l'ACACC pour article étudiant et se composera d'un montant de 250.00 $ et les
droits d'adhésion à l'Association pour une année. Le prix inclus également une invitation présenter
la communication lors de la conférence annuelle de l'ACACC tenue à la fin mai ou au début juin. Si le
récipiendaire répond à cette invitation, il sera dispensé des frais d'inscription au congrès et l'Association
lui allouera un montant jusqu’ à 250.00$, avec recettes, pour couvrir les frais de voyage. L'article doit
être original et ne jamais avoir été publié. Il doit comporter moins de 3 000 mots. Les juges porteront
l'attention en premier lieu sur l'originalité du sujet et sur son apport en nouvelles connaissances et idées
novatrices. L'article sera également jugé sur la façon don’t l'auteur démontre la pertinence du sujet, sur
la qualité générale de la présentation et de la documentation ainsi que sur la qualité littéraire du texte.
Date limite pour soumettre votre rédaction : le 30 avril 2017
Pour obtenir des détails complets sur les prix vous pouvez consulter les lignes directrices (en anglais) sur
notre site web : http://www.acmla-acacc.ca/awards_committee.php ou contactez
Siobhan Hanratty
Comité des prix et mérites de l’ACACC
hanratty@unb.ca
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
7
A message from the ACMLA Executive:
Dear ACMLA members,
As discussed at the last AGM held in June 2016, the ACMLA Executive has been looking into the
Association’s financial situation; specifically, the fact that the Association is spending more than we
are earning each fiscal year. Due to our limited income streams, the ACMLA Executive has decided to
increase membership fees in 2017. Individual memberships will increase from $45 to $65, effective
this 2017 subscription year. The increase will help offset our annual expenses (such as our website,
membership system, and annual conference) while still keeping ACMLA membership affordable.
If you have any questions, please get in touch: Deena (president@acmla-acacc.ca) or Rebecca
(treasurer@acmla-acacc.ca).
Sincerely,
Rebecca, ACMLA Treasurer (on behalf of the ACMLA Executive)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chers membres de l'ACACC,
Comme il a été discuté lors de notre discussion à la dernière assemblée générale de l’association
tenue en juin 2016, le conseil d’administration de l'ACCAC s'est questionné sur la situation financière
de l'association et plus précisément, le fait que l'association dépense plus que nous gagnons chaque
année financière. En raison de nos flux de revenu limités, le CA de l'ACCAC a décidé de hausser les
frais d'adhésion. À compter de cette année (2017), les frais d'adhésion individuels seront augmentés
de 45 $ à 65 $. L'augmentation contribuera à compenser nos dépenses annuelles (comme notre
site Web, notre système d'adhésion et notre congrès annuel) tout en gardant les frais adorables
pour les membres de l'ACCAC.
Si vous avez des questions, n'hésitez pas à nous contacter: Deena (president@ACACC-.ca) ou
Rebecca (treasurer@ACACC-.ca).
Bien cordialement,
Rebecca, trésorière de l'ACACC (au nom de le CA de l'ACCAC)
ACMLA Welcomes New Members:
Susie Wilson
University of Northern British Columbia
susie.wilson@unbc.ca
Status: Full Member
Heather Adams
Toronto, ON
h.adams@mail.utoronto.ca
Status: Full Member
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
8
Call for Translation Officer / Appel à l’agent de traduction
Chers membres de l’ACACC, amis, et collègues,
Commes vous le savez, l’ACACC a pour mandat d’exercer comme group professionnel représentatif pour
les bibliothécaires et archivistes cartographiques canadiens. Nos objectifs comprennent l’appui et le
développement de normes, d’activités et de réseaux de communication liés aux informations géographiques,
ainsi que le soutien au perfectionnement professionnel de nos membres et l’encouragement à la participation
aux activités de l’Association. Dans l’esprit de ces objectifs, l’Association cherche actuellement une personne
enthousiaste et engagée pour occuper le poste d’agente de traduction de l’ACMLA, en promouvant nos efforts
continus pour devenir une organisation entièrement bilingue.
Dans cette position, l’individu facilitera la traduction de divers documents et communications de l’Association,
y compris : les annonces du comité exécutif de l’ACACC; les communications associées à la conférence et à
l’assemblée générale annuelles; et les communications du groupe travail occasionnel et des événements
spéciaux. La personne sera également membre du comité de planification de la conférence annuelle.
Ce poste offre la possibilité de s’impliquer dans une organisation nationale et d’acquérir de l’expérience
en planification de conférences. Un honoraire sera fourni en signe d’appréciation (valeur à déterminer).
Veuillez adresser vos demandes de renseignements supplémentaires ou vos manifestations d’intérêt à Tracy
Sallaway, vice-présidente des communications et de la sensibilisation, par courriel à tracysallaway@trentu.ca.
Dear ACMLA members, friends and colleagues,
As you know, the ACMLA is mandated to serve as the representative professional group for Canadian
map libraries and archivists. Our objectives include supporting and developing standards, activities, and
communication networks related to geographic information, as well as supporting our members’ professional
development and encouraging participation in Association activities. In the spirit of these objectives, the
Association is currently seeking an enthusiastic and committed individual to fulfill the position of Translation
Officer for the ACMLA in our ongoing efforts to become a fully bilingual organization.
In this position, the individual will facilitate translation of various Association documents, web pages and
communications, including: announcements from the ACMLA Executive; communications associated with
the conference and annual general meeting; and occasional working group and special communications.
The individual will also service as a member of the annual conference planning committee.
This position offers an opportunity to become involved with a national organization and gain experience
with conference planning. An honorarium will be provided as an expression of appreciation (value to be
determined).
Please send inquiries or expressions of interest to Tracy Sallaway, Vice President Communications & Outreach
at tracysallaway@trentu.ca
Tracy Sallaway
Maps, Data & Government Information Centre (MaDGIC)
Trent University Library
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
9
Mentoring Program Task Force
Dear ACMLA Members,
Our established ACMLA Mentoring Program is undergoing a facelift and we need the assistance from ACMLA
members. The ACMLA Board of Directors has created a Mentoring Program Task Force. The taskforce’s
mandate is to evaluate the current program, research and evaluate other mentoring programs, and create
a new mandate and framework for the mentoring program. The new mandate and framework will be
presented to the membership at the next annual general meeting. The task force will be in place from
March 2017 until July 2017.
The mentoring program coordinator, Rosa Orlandini, is looking for two volunteers from the ACMLA
membership to work on this task force. If you are interested in joining the task force, please contact me at
president@acmla-acacc.ca . For more information about the task force, please see the attached document.
Best Regards,
Deena
-------------------------
Bonjour à tous,
Notre programme de mentorat est en cours de rénovation et nous avons besoin de l'aide des membres de
l'ACMLA.
Le conseil d'administration de l’ACACC a créé un groupe de travail sur le programme de mentorat. Le
mandat du ce groupe de travail est d'évaluer le programme actuel, de faire des recherches et d'évaluer
d'autres programmes de mentorat, et créer un nouveau mandat et un nouveau cadre pour le programme
de mentorat. Ce groupe de travail sera en place de mars à juillet 2017.
La coordonnatrice du programme de mentorat, Rosa Orlandini, est à la recherche de deux participants
de l'ACMLA pour travailler sur ce groupe de travail. Si vous souhaitez participer, veuillez me contacter au
president@acmla-acacc.ca .
Pour plus d'informations sur le groupe de travail s'il vous plaît consulter le document ci-joint.
Merci,
Deena
Deena Yanofsky
President, Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
10
MAPPING 18TH & 19TH CENTURY LAND SURVEYS
Nicholas Boyko
University of Waterloo
Introduction
As Canada was settled by the British in the 18th and
19th centuries, a series of surveys were completed.
These surveys divided the country into counties or
divisions, and further into townships. As well, these
surveys included information about the existing
infrastructure and vegetation, giving a small picture
of the land cover at the time. This last point is
perhaps the most currently useful characteristic of
the initial surveys; if mapped in GIS or by hand, the
historic vegetation of the areas can be determined
and compared to later 19th century surveys of the
same format, as well as more modern 20th and 21st
century data. This data flexibility can allow for much
improved historic analysis. The following guide
introduces the general data format and provides
direction on the mapping of historic survey data.
Format of Surveys
Various surveys from various people are in different
units. The most common denominator is the unit
of the surveyor’s chain, or generally shortened to
Chains. A chain is 20.1168 meters long, and there
are 80 chains to the survey mile (Note that this is not
a statute mile – although the two are very similar).
Some surveys (more common in later surveys, which
capture more detail) further break this down into
links, which are each 1/100th of a chain (Figure 1).
Most land surveys of the time denote distance from
a stated point in order to give position of features.
The surveyor gives a feature to start from (Birch
thicket, east of town, the heights by the creek, etc.),
or a latitude and longitude, and then gives a bearing
on which they will survey along. Depending on the
type of survey (e.g. initial survey, or later detail
survey), the entire survey may be along a single
line, on a broken line, where the survey will change
direction, or along the square borders of a township.
As well, it is possible that the surveyor may have
surveyed multiple lines, and this would be denoted,
but it is vital that one reads the entire document
first in order to gain an understanding of what has
been surveyed.
After the chain, however, it becomes a matter of
Figure 1. Surveyor’s Chain (Image courtesy of the Jordan
Historical Museum)
identifying the units and style used by the individual
surveyor. In this case, it is vital to possess some
cartographic knowledge of units of distance and
position in order to identify the system used.
One common method for the initial surveys was
to denote distance from a corner of a township
in miles, followed by chains. A specific example
is William Hambly’s 1795 Survey of Darlington
Township, which denotes use of this method.
Another method is to show distance in terms of which
concession the surveyor was in. Since the township
system is a grid of generally equal measures, this is
somewhat harder to tell, as the distance can vary
county to county. As such, the best practice is to find
an NTS or similar map of the county and measure
the distance between concession roads manually.
In this way, the measurements will be accurate.
There are also some surveys that give a latitude
instead of a concession, and count up chains
and links from there. The latitude will generally
appear in the Notes column of the survey table.
Cadastral Surveys
Contemporary cadastral surveys are somewhat
more confusing to reference without a map of the
lots, as the lot size can vary between townships. An
excellent reference in this case is a historical atlas of
the area, as it will denote the lots, and even owners
in most cases.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
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Boundary Surveys
Boundary surveys were most often completed as an initial survey of an area. Otherwise, they were performed
as an initial step when surveying previously surveyed townships. A boundary survey is a survey of the
vegetation around the perimeter of a given township or area. Depending on the time and the surveyor, they
sometimes include lot numbers as the surveyor passed them, and almost all of them include the concession
numbers as well. An example with the lot number is included below in Figure 2, and an example without
is given in Figure 3.
Figure 2: Boundary Survey with Lot numbers
Figure 3: Boundary Survey without Lot numbers
The notes start with a description of the starting point of the survey. The surveyor would attempt to
pick some permanent or semi-permanent feature such as a dense clump of trees, a church, a house,
or a crossroad, if possible. These features would become the defining corner of each township.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
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Interior Surveys
The other major type of survey was the survey
of the interior of a township. This was often
done in conjunction with a boundary survey,
unless the entire survey was for a portion of
the entire township. These portional surveys
will be given from either a set coordinate, or
more likely from a landmark. As with other non-lot-
based surveys, the features will be given as
points along given distances on a given bearing.
Mapping
If more is desired from the survey than simple
data, such as in the case of historical vegetation
studies, then mapping is required. This falls into two
broad categories: hand cartography, which is more
straightforward, but requires georeferencing to bring
onto a computer; and GIS-based cartography, in which
the data are drawn in a GIS such as ArcGIS or QGIS.
Mapping by Hand
In the case of mapping out older land surveys, it
can be considered easier to draw by hand, given
a protractor, ruler, plenty of paper, and a pencil.
Because most surveys follow a straight line, and the
oldest (the surveys directly after acquisition of the
land) follow the boundaries of the township, they
can be easily drawn without any spatial reference.
Having gained an understanding of the units
and styles of the survey notes, it is time to
begin mapping. There are two main methods to
mapping the surveys by hand: the unreferenced
and the fill-in method. Each has its application
and use, and each is suited best for different data.
Unreferenced Method
The unreferenced method is the best method for
surveys that are a regular shape, such as the initial
boundary survey of a township, or a single-line
survey (such as one re-surveying a boundary).
The unreferenced method has the advantage of
being easier and faster to perform than the fill-in
method, but is more prone to error than the
fill-in method, and thus surveys with multiple
survey lines are better suited to the fill-in method.
Performing the Unreferenced Method
The first step in mapping out surveys using the
unreferenced method is to determine which scale
one wishes to map at. This choice depends on what
level of detail is present in the survey, as well as
what one wishes to do with the map once complete.
Choosing a scale that matches topographic maps of
the area being mapped is a good choice, as it allows
one to overlay the mapped data over the topographic
maps, and thus compare data and position.
However, if one is planning on later scanning and
georeferencing the map, the scale is not of great
importance, so long as the scale is consistent.
Having chosen the scale, the units to draw with
are the next concern. The easiest to use will likely
be centimeters, as they make for easy math after
the conversion, and centimeter rulers are easy
to come by. As well, it is key to convert miles to
chains at 80 chains to the mile first, and use the
links as the decimal of the chains (there are 100
links in a chain). With these in mind the conversion
factor for converting from chains is as follows:
Convert Chains -> Centimeters (change miles to
chains at 80 chains to a mile first)
Conversion Factor = 2011.68/Scale
Write this factor down, as you will use it extensively
in the mapping process.
Finally, it is time to begin mapping! If the line you
are drawing is unbroken, and does not change
direction, then starting is easy: Determine the first
and last points, and the distance between them
(easy, since the distance in the notes is often the
distance from the starting point), and draw a line in
that scale distance on your paper(s). So, if the last
point is 12 miles (a normal township) away from the
first point, and you are drawing a map in 1: 25,000
scale, you can find the scale distance as follows:
12 miles × 80=960 chains
Conversion Factor = 2011.68/25000 =0 .0804672
.:Scale distance = 960 ×CF = 77.25 centimeters
Thus, you would draw a line 77.25 centimeters long.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
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If the line is broken by the surveyor changing
direction, you draw the first section as a complete
line as described above, then you calculate the
difference in bearing between the first and second
segment of the line, and use your protractor
to draw a line that is whatever difference in
bearing off from the first segment, and draw the
second segment as above, and so on and so forth.
If the path branches, simply start the branched line
from the main segment as above.
Once your line is drawn, you can begin to plot the
vegetation and features along it. This is fairly simple
once the line has been drawn. For each successive
entry, convert the distance, and plot along the line you
have drawn. It may be helpful to shorten the names of
vegetation; i.e. Beech to Be, Poplar to P, etc. A sample
set used by the University of Waterloo Faculty of
Environment in the 1970s is included in Table 1.
Table 1. Abbreviations for features
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
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The features are generally listed with what they are,
where they trend (if it is a hill or stream), and how
big they are (width of stream in chains), as well as
information about the nature of the feature (e.g. clear
water, very tall trees, young trees, good soil, loamy
ground, etc.). If there is something going on around
them (fire, human activity, etc.) it will generally also
be noted, although this depends on the surveyor.
Continue this process until the survey is complete.
At this point, you can overlay it on a same scale
paper map and trace the features of the paper
map, thus yielding a map showing the relative
locations of the features once aligned correctly. In
order to align correctly, one must determine the
bearing upon which the survey started, and align
the drawn map from the known starting point
with the rest of the map. This can be checked by
looking at the noted locations of more permanent
features, such as creeks and large rocks, as well as
by the knowledge that most surveyors remained
on roads during their surveys. Alternatively, you
can continue on to georeferencing or digitizing
the map in a GIS program such as ArcGIS or QGIS,.
Fill-In Method
The fill-in method is a different approach to the
map creation which involves tracing a pre-made
map and drawing the features of a survey in.
This method has the advantage of being more
accurate than the unreferenced method, due to
being constrained by an accurate dataset. This
method has the downside of being somewhat time-consuming,
and requiring both a paper map of the
area in question, as well as appropriate tracing tools.
To begin, choose a map of the area that the survey
you are interested is located within. The map
should have enough detail that some or all of
the features in the survey would be listed if the
survey was made at the same time as the map.
As such, 1: 25,000 NTS maps are a good choice,
although you may require multiple, depending
on the survey. If you have a historic map of the
area in enough detail, that would be a good
choice, provided you know the scale of the map.
With the map chosen, you can begin tracing
features from the map onto your new map. Be
sure to include attribution on your map of the
original, and ensure that there are no restrictions
on using the map as a source for features (insurance
maps are not good sources for this reason.
Provincial base maps and NTS maps are better
choices). In tracing, ensure that your map is
affixed somehow to the map you are tracing from,
so as to ensure that there is no error in copying.
Trace key elements of the base map first, such
as the concession and side line roads, which will
serve largely as the basis on which you can locate
surveyed features. Include rough outlines of large
cities, and note any towns in the area. These should
serve as a good starting point. If you wish to include
clearly modern features, such as highways, you can,
although they will likely not be relevant to the survey.
Drawing the map – line surveys & beginning a
map
Drawing in the survey features in this method is
much similar to that of the unreferenced method.
Locate the starting point of the survey, which
may be either a pair of coordinates, or may be a
local reference that will require you to utilize air
photos or Google Maps to locate. If the survey is
the initial survey of a township, the starting point
is generally a corner of the township, which is
relatively easy to locate, but for other types of
surveys it could be anything, but will be described.
Once the starting point has been located, the
survey direction will be mentioned in the survey.
This survey is generally along a road, so one can
take advantage of this and find the road that
most follows the direction given. To verify this
is the correct direction, find a stream or other
permanent feature in the survey and measure out
the distance along the road to the stream on your
map (or the traced map, if you did not include
streams). If the feature is located where the
surveyor wrote it was, you have the correct road.
Once you have the road you are drawing along, you
can begin drawing features. Draw features along the
road at the specified distance in the survey, converted
to scale distance. To convert to scale distance,
calculate as mentioned above, or as included here:
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
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It is key to first convert miles to chains at 80
chains to the mile first, and use the links as
the decimal of the chains (there are 100 links
in a chain). With these in mind the conversion
factor for converting from chains is as follows
Convert Chains -> Centimeters (change miles to
chains at 80 chains to a mile first)
Conversion Factor=2011.68/Scale
What follows is an example of conversion:
12 miles ×80=960 chains
Conversion Factor = 2011.68/25000=0.0804672
.: Scale distance =9 60 ×CF = 77.25 centimeters
In this way, you can note any features mentioned in
the survey, most easily by drawing a perpendicular
line on the side of the road that the survey mentions
(or both sides if none is mentioned), and noting the
feature in abbreviated form.
Drawing the map – Cadastral surveys
In the case of cadastral, or property surveys, the
features are generally listed under each property.
In this case, it is vital to have contemporary
property maps or atlases of the area in the survey,
as the division of lots will not always be clear. If
you have a scale-listed map and a contemporary
map, but without scale, you can convert as follows:
Length Conversion Ratio: (Non-scale distance
between concessions)/(Scale map distance
between concession lines)
Width Conversion Ratio: (Non-scale distance
between side lines)/(Scale map distance between
side line roads)
Scaled map lot dimension: (Non-scale lot
dimension (x or y))/(Relevant conversion ratio)
Then, simply draw in the lots at the appropriate
dimensions, and label by number according to the
contemporary map (not by name, there’s a good
chance the surveyor used the numbers as well).
If you do not have numbers, attempt to figure the
number system out using topographic features listed
in the survey and cross-reference with the base map.
Once you have the lots labelled, you can begin to
fill in features. This is just a matter of matching
lots and measuring out what distances are
mentioned in some entries in the survey notes.
Mapping in a GIS: ArcGIS
Mapping the survey data in a GIS is very similar to
the fill-in method listed above in that everything
is done with reference to base materials. However,
there are some advantages and disadvantages
to mapping in a GIS. The chief advantage is the
applicability of the data once mapped. Once mapped
in a GIS, it is easy to compare historic data to current
data, and paint a picture of change over time. The
chief disadvantage is the need for accuracy and the
difficulties in drafting common with GIS, as well
as the need for underlying GIS knowledge, not to
mention the costs in acquiring some GIS software.
Step 1: Acquiring Data
To map the survey data, unless precise coordinates
are given, you will need some other data to create
your map. Luckily enough, most of this data is
publicly available. The main datasets you will need
are the roads and the geographic township data, both
of which can be acquired from provincial open data
sites, such as the Province of Ontario’s Open Data
website (https://www.ontario.ca/data/). Ensure
that the first data you add is in a projected coordinate
system. This is important, as ArcMap will force all your
other data into a GCS if the first data is not projected,
and will be unable to convert units or edit properly.
The data, once added to ArcMap, will look something
like what is shown in Figure 4. In order to make
the map easier, use the Select By Features tool to
select the township(s) you are interested in. Once
you have selected your townships, right click
on the layer in the Table of Contents and export
the selection as a shapefile under the Selection
submenu. As you add data, you will want to
clip them to the township(s) you have selected.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
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Figure 4: Open Data in default configuration
Figure 5: Missing roads – compare left (province open data) and right (county open data)
At this point, you are ready to begin drawing most surveys, although you may wish to acquire stream data,
or symbolize roads based on size. If the area you are mapping has higher quality data available on the county
or region open data site, it is highly recommended that you use that data instead, as the provincial data is
often not complete in terms of local side line roads, as shown in the example township of Darlington in Figure
5, below, where the base line road, which is necessary to locate the start of the township, is not included.
Mapping
To begin mapping, locate the start of the survey. Use the relative or absolute reference the surveyor uses to
locate this, and acquire more data if necessary. In this tutorial, the first line of the 1795 boundary survey
of Darlington Township by William Hambly will be mapped. As such, Mr. Hambly states that the survey
“[began] at the Southwest corner of the first Concession which is in a Meadow on the East Side of the Creek
from St. John House on No. 8 which Corner is a White ash thicket standing a Chain from the upland on the
West line of the Town.1
1Hambly, William. Report and Field Notes of the Survey of the Township of Darlington [survey]. Department of Lands
and Forests, 1795.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
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This is a relatively easy location to find, even though
Mr. Hambly was quite verbose in his description.
Often, older surveys describe the area at the
beginning in great detail, so as to make location on
the ground easy for future readers. However, with
the great volumes of data available to us, it is easy to
locate the southwest corner of the First Concession.
Given that townships are laid out in a regular fashion,
the southwest corner of the first concession is the
point at which the baseline road meets/would meet
the next township over. It is necessary to specify the
baseline road, as there is often a section of shoreline
around lakes that is included as an extra portion
of the township, but is not included in the grid.
Using the Identify Features tool, we can find which
road is the baseline road fairly easily. Once found,
we can find the connection point using a ruler on
the screen, or an Arc ruler and create a point at
the location with the Editing Toolbar. To do so, we
will first use the tool Create New Feature Class,
which can be found by searching for it using the
search tool in Geoprocessing. Make the new layer
a Point layer, and put it somewhere relevant. Give
it a reasonable name, and then add the Editing
Toolbar to your ArcMap window, by right clicking
anywhere on the toolbars at the top. Click the Editor
dropdown menu, and Start Editing. Use the Create
Features window to create a point where the start
of the survey is. Click Save Edits and Stop Editing
after you create the point. You may have to add the
Create Features window, if it is not there already.
The next step is to draw a line along which the
surveyed points will fall. If the survey occurred
along the township boundary, then this step is
not necessary, as you can simply place points
along the boundary, however if this is not the
case, the process is a little more involved. Create
a new Feature Class using the tool as before, and
begin editing. Create a line that is as long as the
survey you are mapping, along the direction of
the survey. As noted above, ArcMap provides
direction counterclockwise from East. Distance at
the bottom while editing is given in map units, and
distance when created specific length lines is in
map units by default. If you press Ctrl-G, you can
enter an exact bearing (clockwise from East) and
a distance, which you can provide a unit for.
At this point, you will likely want to make a list
of the points you will be drawing, and convert
them to map units. Since you are not creating
a physical map, you do not have to convert
scale. Thus, if your map units are meters, you
simply multiply a chain value by 20.1168 meters.
Next, using either the Direction/Length tool and
the Point at End of Line tool in Create Features,
or using the Measure tool, you can start placing
your points. You can either edit the attributes
of points as you go, or edit them after you have
finished placement. Note that if you use the
Point at End of Line tool, you can forgo the
creation of the survey line in the previous step.
Editing Attributes
When adding attributes to your points, you may
want to take one of two approaches to classification.
The first is to use a numbered system, in which
each number is coded to a feature value. This is
preferable if you are within a geodatabase, as
coded values can be used as a domain. Another
possibility, and the one used in the example, is
to use text based classification. In either, case,
you will need to create one or more additional
fields outside of the edit session, by opening the
attribute table of your survey points, and adding
the fields. Depending on your use for the data, you
will want to change this form of representation.
Now that you have your fields, start an Edit session,
and open the Attributes task pane. Next, using
the Edit tool, you will want to select each point
in turn, and add the data from the survey notes.
As shown in Figure 6, you may not be able to
get detailed data for each point. As such, you
could assign a vegetation data value based on
the nearest known vegetation, or leave without.
With the attributes complete, your survey has
been fully encoded! You can now use the Search
by Attributes function to select points with
given vegetation for the creation of new layers
or for further analysis, such as conversion to
polygons or comparison with modern data.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
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Figure 6: Filled Fields
Conclusion
The use of historic survey data can be much
enhanced with modern GIS techniques. With the
use of this historic data, more and more accurate
historic studies can be completed, using a larger
quantity of data. The integration of historic data
within a GIS is a method by which more use can
be made of many historic maps and other physical
data currently unused, allowing for greater
accuracy and breadth in historic-based GIS analysis.
Nicholas Boyko hails from Fredericton, New
Brunswick, and is a 4th-year Geomatics student at
the University of Waterloo. He is an employee of the
University of Waterloo Geospatial Centre, and works
on various projects in the centre, including writing
tutorials and converting paper data. His research
interests include working with big data, analyzing
historical data, and land cover studies in remote
sensing. In his free time, Nick is also the leader of
the Waterloo Warriors Band, and has volunteered
with various other ensembles in the past.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
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BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO OLD HISTORICAL GIS DATA
Marcel Fortin
University of Toronto
Originally published as a blog post in geohist.ca, Jan.
2017.
Most academics who’ve written about Historical
GIS have discussed the high-cost of building HGIS
projects (Gregory and Ell, 2007). Building any GIS
project is an expensive endeavour. Few, however,
have mentioned the benefits of the ongoing nature
or the extended length of some projects; and
the long-term benefits of data projects Ontario
Historical County Map Project (OCMP) < http://
maps.library.utoronto.ca/hgis/countymaps/> and
the Don Valley Historical Mapping Project (DVHMP)
<https://maps.library.utoronto.ca/dvhmp/> are
two projects that have benefitted from the long-tail
of their existence in order to continue to develop
and enjoy useful applications and use of the long-ago-
built (or still being built) historical data.
The OCMP was conceived a few years after the
release of the well-known Canadian County
Atlas Project <http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/
countyatlas/search.htm > at McGill University
Libraries in the late 1990s. Nineteenth century
County Maps were generally published earlier
than the County Atlases. The Atlas project focused
solely on the bound maps, and the OCMP focuses
only on the earlier large-format maps. Like the
Atlas project, however, the main focus of the County
Map Project is to allow for the querying of land
occupant names found on the maps, and the display
of the names on images of the historical maps.
While the McGill project did not use any GIS
technology for displaying name information,
it did take advantage of the web-technology
of its day to graphically lay-out images of the
atlasplates, and PHP to link image locations
within the database of land-occupant names. The
Atlas project was certainly an inspiration to us
in developing the Ontario County Map Project.
In contrast to the types of tools used in the
Atlas Project, the OHCMP has been a GIS project from
the beginning. Like the Atlas Project, however, we
also wanted to ensure that users of the County Map
project could benefit from web technology to view the
maps and GIS data. Being a GIS database, however, a
new method of dissemination would need to be used.
Early tests of web technology were pre-Google
and used what is now archaic web-mapping
software. Our first attempt in 2004 utilized Esri’s
ArcIMS (Internet Map Server), made available
to us as part of our campus site license with Esri
Canada. We loaded our entire database into
ArcIMS as a test, which at the time consisted of
only Waterloo and Brant counties. Somewhat
surprisingly, we were able to build a sophisticated
querying tool and managed to display the
georeferenced county map scans in the online map.
While yielding relatively impressive results
for the time (if one were patient enough to
wait for results of a query or a zoom-in or
-out) it was clear that this setup was less than
ideal as the software was extremely difficult to
install, very slow to render results, and gave
us difficulties finding adequate server space
on which to permanently install the software.
Due to the limitations of available software,
developing a web map of the land occupant names
of the project was put on hold. Of course Google
Maps changed the entire web-mapping landscape
in 2005. Despite the adoption of Google Maps
by many to display their data on the web, our
attempts were hampered by the now large size
of our land occupant database. While MySQL was
often used to work alongside PHP and the Google
API at the time, the conversion of our geospatial
database into a MySQL database would have been
a step back in the GIS development of the project.
Other more recent attempts at using web-mapping
technology in 2013 also included a Mapserver
configuration with OpenLayers and a PostgreSQL
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
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geospatial-enabled database using PostGIS. While
the shapefile data did need to be converted to
PostGIS, this setup at least promised the maintenance
of our database in a GIS environment, compared to
using MySQL. The resulting web-map was very
promising, but required quite a bit of coding and
manipulation. Having no programmer on the team
or any funds to hire one, my programming of the
application was limited to a six month research leave
and the odd-slow day at the Map and Data Library.
Without a programmer, it was clear this solution was
less than ideal and would take years to complete.
Openlayers-Mapserver-PostGIS rendition of the Ontario Historical County Map Project
For many years I ignored ArcGIS Online <https://
www.arcgis.com/home/index.html> as possibly
an overblown idea by Esri. How could one actually
build an online tool with GIS functionality and get
us to buy into it, I always wondered. However, its
popularity grew so much among our U of T users
that I eventually needed to learn how to use it to be
able to support it. What better way to teach myself
how to use ArcGIS Online than to load the County
Map Project data, I decided. To my immediate
surprise, ArcGIS Online was not only fun and full
of great GIS and web-mapping features; it also
had the Web AppBuilder application built into it
Along with dozens of Story Map templates, the
Web AppBuilder allows you to take your GIS data
into a web skin where you can add customizable
widgets that work extremely well, even in mobile
browsers. Being able to query or filter the 80,000 or
so names in our database was a key consideration
in adopting any web technology for the project.
ArcGIS Online delivered this amazingly well, and
also allowed for the rendering of high-resolution
images of the scanned County Maps. The ease of use
and customization of web apps without the need for
coding are also fantastic selling points. Other fun
but useful widgets include using animated timelines
of. “time-enabled” data, and a swipe tool that
allows for viewing two datasets on top of the other
and sliding a toolbar to switch between displays.
Adopting ArcGIS Online as a web-mapping tool has
allowed the project to be out in the public eye where
users can actually take advantage of the data built
over the past 15 years. I never thought we would
have a web-mapping solution before we finished the
database, but as it stands, I am pretty happy with
most of the functionality of the web app at this point,
as our database continues to grow and we continue to
compile more land-occupant names from Historical
County Maps. Interestingly, while writing this post
I actually received three email messages about the
project and requests for further information from
users of the County Maps site. Without making
our data available in this powerful way, I doubt
our project would have drawn so much attention.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
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ArcGIS Online version of the Ontario Historical County Map Project with Querying tool display
Inspired by my success with the web-app builder
tool, I decided to also build an app for the DVHMP
and found that the data we had built over seven
years ago really came to life on the web. Being able
to query the data and render both polygon and point
data together in one view online is empowering.
ArcGIS online is of course not the only tool that
has taken advantage of web-mapping and cloud
computing advancements to allow users to build
their own web map apps. Products such as Mapbox
are also increasing in popularity because of their ease
of use, powerful functionality and customizability,
and the attractiveness of the final map product.
Web Mapping has been around since the 1990s,
but with new advanced web-mapping technology
like ArcGIS online and Mapbox, it may be time
for many other dormant or long-forgotten HGIS
datasets to be pulled out of hard drives, or USB
sticks to be given new life displayed in easily
created yet powerful web maps. I am excited
at the thought of possibly seeing the Montréal
Avenir du Passé data for instance, available for
display on a web map for all to interact with.
The Canadian HGIS Partnership is investigating
many web-mapping tools and visualization
methods. We are also working with Esri Canada, as
part of the GeoHist project, to provide specific HGIS
requirements for online mapping tools. With the
powerful components already available in ArcGIS
online, Mapbox, and other web mapping tools,
the future of web-mapping for HGIS is certainly
very exciting and accessible to anyone interested
in developing them without the need to code.
References:
Gregory, Ian, and Paul S. Ell. Historical GIS:
Technologies, Methodologies, and Scholarship. New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
22
EMBELLIR POUR MIEUX DIRE : DES ORNEMENTS SUR LA CARTE
DE L’AMÉRIQUE DE JODOCUS HONDIUS (1606)
Alban Berson
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
Si une carte est la représentation d’un territoire,
elle témoigne bien souvent aussi d’une vision du
monde. C’est le cas de cette carte du continent
américain gravée par le Flamand Jodocus Hondius
(1563-1612) en 1606 à Amsterdam et dont BAnQ
vient d’acquérir un exemplaire d’une édition
publiée en 1613 ou 16161 par sa femme, Coletta
van den Keere2. Bien qu’il fût lui-même cartographe,
Hondius se considérait avant tout comme l’éditeur
de l’oeuvre de Gérard Mercator (1512-1594) dont
il avait acquis les plaques dix ans après sa mort3.
En 1606, en dépit de la concurrence du superbe
atlas d’Abraham Ortelius, la première édition par
Hondius de l’atlas général de Mercator est épuisée
dans l’année4. Dans cet ouvrage, jusqu’en 1630,
coexistent deux cartes de l’Amérique entière :
l’une gravée par Michael Mercator, petit-fils de
Gérard, l’autre, cette America, oeuvre compilatoire
de Hondius. Mais alors que la première est
accompagnée d’un texte décrivant le continent,
l’America de Hondius n’est associée à aucun
commentaire5. Cette absence rend d’autant plus
précieux les différents ornements qui non seulement
l’embellissent mais aussi accroissent sa richesse
documentaire : Amérindiens s’affairant autour d’un
chaudron ou naviguant sur des canoës, monstres
marins, oiseaux tropicaux, bateaux familiers
ou plus exotiques ; aucun de ces éléments n’est
purement décoratif. Au contraire, cette iconographie
est chargée de sens et contribue à étoffer la
vision du Nouveau Monde exprimée par la carte
L’Amérique juste avant Champlain
Utilisant la projection stéréographique plutôt
que celle de Mercator, Hondius donne à voir une
Amérique du Nord très élargie. Le carton situé à
gauche du titre précise en latin que le continent
est inconnu au-delà de ce point et relativise les
conjectures concernant un passage du Nord-Ouest
par le détroit d’Anian. La carte continentale de
Hondius sert en cela de contrepoint aux deux
réalisations de Gérard et Michael Mercator
présentes dans le même atlas qui, elles, représentent
ce passage tant recherché notamment par Davis et
Frobisher6. La forme triangulaire de Terre-Neuve
est typique des travaux d’un autre Amstellodamois,
Petrus Plancius7. La Nouvelle-France est parsemée
de toponymes français, portugais et amérindiens
tirés principalement de l’oeuvre de Cornelis van
Wytfliet, ce dernier s’appuyant sur les cartographes
dieppois. Si une partie de cette nomenclature a
survécu, parfois en se déplaçant ou en se modifiant,
la majorité est tombée en désuétude avec l’oeuvre
d’exploration et de colonisation de Champlain8.
L’observateur contemporain ne manquera pas
de remarquer l’absence des Grands Lacs. La côte
Est des actuels États-Unis est représentative
des productions de l’époque avec toutefois une
singulière protubérance de la Virginie. Quant
à la Nouvelle-Espagne, Hondius la rapproche
de ses proportions réelles en la rétrécissant
encore un peu au niveau du Tropique du Cancer9.
1Burden, Philip D., The mapping of North America : list of printed maps, 1511-1670, p. 183-184
2Préface à Mercator, Gerardus, Atlas or a geographicke description of the world, p. VIII
3Woodward, David, et al., The history of cartography, Vol. 3 part. 2, p. 1313
4Burden, Philip D., The mapping of North America : list of printed maps, 1511-1670, p. 183
5Ibid.
6Au sujet de Septentrionalium terrarum desciptio de Gérard Mercator, voir Palomino, Jean-François, Le point de vue
fascinant de Mercator in À rayons ouverts, n. 93 automne 2013, p. 32-33
7Burden, Philip D., The mapping of North America : list of printed maps, 1511-1670, p. 183
8Au sujet des toponymes sur les cartes de la Nouvelle-France avant Champlain, voir Litalien, Raymonde, Jean-François
Palomino et Denis Vaugeois, La mesure d’un continent : atlas historique de l’Amérique du Nord, 1492-1814, en particulier
p. 1, 4, 46 et 48
9Burden, Philip D., The mapping of North America : list of printed maps, 1511-1670, p. 183
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
23
Le cartographe incorpore également une nouvelle
représentation plus fidèle de la côte Ouest de
l’Amérique du Sud. L’étroitesse du détroit de
Magellan est caractéristique de la période marquée
par la présence imposante de la Terre Australe au
sud du globe. Les ornements sont harmonieusement
répartis sur les océans et leur iconographie,
comme c’est souvent le cas, fait la part belle à
l’Amérique du Sud, mais pas seulement. Le point
d’orgue esthétique de l’ensemble est ce carton
représentant une scène amérindienne sur le cadre
duquel sont perchés deux oiseaux emblématiques.
Le Perroquet et le toucan
mentionné plusieurs fois dans le texte de son atlas11,
parfois sous parfois sous le nom de papagay12.
Sur America, il l’utilise comme emblème du
continent : c’est l’illustration la plus grande par
rapport aux dimensions réelles du sujet et son
emplacement au coin du carton amérindien le rend
immanquable au lecteur qu’il parait accueillir13.
Selon une légende tenace, le 12 octobre 1492,
le regard de Christophe Colomb aurait été attiré
vers la terre par un vol de perroquets. On sait
que le navigateur ramena une quarantaine de
ces oiseaux de sa première expédition. Comme le
souligne Wilma George, les premiers explorateurs,
parmi lesquels Vespucci, Cabral et Corte Real, ne
manquent jamais de mentionner dans leurs récits
la splendeur, la longueur du plumage et la variété
des couleurs des aras14. Dans les Grands Voyages
de de Bry (1592) figure une scène dans laquelle les
Français achètent quelques uns de ces volatiles aux
indigènes, accompagnés de singes et de poivre15. En
somme, le perroquet est, dans l’imaginaire collectif
européen, associé à l’Amérique tropicale depuis
le commencement des grandes découvertes. Dès
1502, l’animal fait son apparition cartographique
sur le planisphère de Cantino, un groupe de trois
grands aras rouges occupant l’intérieur du sous-continent16.
De même, en 1507, la première carte
imprimée à représenter un continent distinct du
nom d’Amérique, le planisphère de Waldseemüller,
fait figurer à l’intérieur des terres un spécimen isolé
accompagné de la mention rubei psitaci : perroquet
rouge. Les exemples de cette convention se
multiplient au cours du XVIe siècle. En 1562, une des
cartes murales les plus richement ornées, dessinée
par Gutiérrez et gravée par Cock, en représente
quatre dont deux en vol autour du cartouche. Sur
cette America, Jodocus Hondius perpétue ce qui
s’apparente à une tradition de plus d’un siècle.
Thevet, André, Les Singularitez de la France antarctique
autrement nommée Amerique & de plusieurs terres
& isles decouvertes de notre temps, 1558, p. 91
Dans son ouvrage au sujet de la représentation de
la faune sur les cartes géographiques anciennes,
Wilma George soutient la thèse que certains
animaux symbolisent des régions du monde de la
même façon qu’une bannière identifie un chevalier10.
Hondius, comme en général les Européens cultivés
depuis l’Antiquité, connait le perroquet, présent
en Inde ainsi qu’en Afrique sub-saharienne et
10George, Wilma B., Animals and maps
11Notons que ce texte a été augmenté par Petrus Montanus du vivant de Hondius. Si le propos a certainement été validé
par ce dernier, les articles n’étant pas signés on ne peut en distinguer les contributeurs.
12Par exemple : Mercator, Gerardus, L’atlas de Gerard Marcator : de nouveau reveu, toutes les cartes corrigez et en outre
augm. d’un appendix par Josse Hondius, p. 664. Les mentions de la faune se raréfient dans l’édition abrégée.
13Notons que la couleur est ici un ajout très postérieur à la production de la carte destiné à en augmenter la valeur
marchande. Sur l’exemplaire de BAnQ, le perroquet est rose ; sur d’autres exemplaires examinés, il est rouge, vert ou
de plusieurs couleurs. En outre, la représentation des animaux sur les cartes est souvent peu fidèle au sujet. Il n’est
pas étonnant que ce perroquet ressemble à une perruche.
14Dickenson, Victoria, Drawn from life : science and art in the portrayal of the New World, p. 57 et 60
15Bry, Théodore de, Le théâtre du Nouveau Monde : les grands voyages de Théodore de Bry présenté par Marc Bouyer et
Jean-Pierre Duviols, p. 114 et 216
16Dickenson, Victoria, Drawn from life : science and art in the portrayal of the New World, p. 57 et 60
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
24
D’ingénieux autochtones
Bry, Théodore de, [Grands voyages : Americae. IXe partie],
Francofurti : Excudebat Matthoeus Beckerus, 1602, p. 22
Les scènes d’Amérindiens dans le carton au bas
de la carte sont tirées d’une planche du Voyage
au Brésil (1592) du huguenot Théodore de Bry
dont Hondius a réorganisé les éléments22. Elles
reconstituent de droite à gauche les trois phases
de préparation rituelle d’une boisson alcoolisée:
la mastication par les femmes, la cuisson et la
fermentation, puis les libations qui s’en suivent23.
L’ensemble des commentateurs de la gravure
d’origine se rejoignent sur la ressemblance entre
ces Tupinambas et d’anciens païens, l’Antiquité
européenne servant de point de référence
pour appréhender l’étrangeté fondamentale
des autochtones. Leur nudité, notamment,
fascine les explorateurs à bien des égards24.
La barque flottant sur les côtes orientales de
l’Amérique du Nord est un autre emprunt à de
Comparé au perroquet, sur les cartes géographiques
anciennes, le toucan fait figure d’oiseau rare.
Sa présence est une des touches personnelles
de Hondius. Si le premier européen à rapporter
l’existence du toucan est l’Espagnol Gonzalo
Fernàndez de Oviedo en 1526 dans son Ouiedo de
la natural hystoria de las Indias, il faut attendre Les
Singularités de la France antarctique d’André Thevet
en 1557 pour qu’une gravure attribuable à Jean
Cousin offre à voir la morphologie si particulière
de « cet oyseau merveilleusement difforme et
monstrueux, ayant le bec plus gros et plus long quasi
que le reste du corps »17. Décidément impressionné
par cette créature, Thevet lui consacre un chapitre
entier dans lequel il mentionne avoir ramené du
Brésil un chapeau confectionné avec des plumes
de toucan qui « a été présenté au Roy comme
chose singulière »18. Le livre de Thevet étant un
ouvrage majeur de la littérature de voyage, il est
difficilement concevable que Hondius ait pu ignorer
une source si précieuse. On ne peut en revanche
pas affirmer qu’il y ait puisé le modèle principal
de son dessin tant les deux représentations du
même oiseau diffèrent. Toutefois, Hondius a
collaboré avec Petrus Plancius (1552-1622), un
érudit versé dans plusieurs sciences. Or, Plancius
a formé deux navigateurs, Heyser et Houtman, à
la cartographie19. Ces Néerlandais sont à l’origine
de la création de douze constellations australes
que Plancius reproduit dans le globe céleste qu’il
présente en 160020. Parmi ces constellations, aux
côtés d’animaux fantastiques comme le phénix
ou l’hydre mâle, on retrouve le toucan. Hondius
ayant lui-même fabriqué ce globe21, on comprend
que le toucan, si prisé dans son entourage, l’ait lui
aussi marqué, au point qu’il le représente quelques
années plus tard sur une de ses cartes les plus
ambitieuses, comme pendant au perroquet, les deux
oiseaux servant d’emblème au Nouveau Monde.
17Thevet, André, Les Singularitez de la France antarctique autrement nommée Amerique & de plusieurs terres & isles
decouvertes de notre temps, 1558, p. 91
18Ibid.
19Hockey, Thomas, et al., The biographical encyclopedia of astronomers, p. 911
20Woodward, David, et al., The history of cartography, Vol. 3 part. 2, p. 1363
21Kanas, Nick, Star maps: history, artistry, and cartography, p. 231
22Bry, Théodore de, Le théâtre du Nouveau Monde : les grands voyages de Théodore de Bry présenté par Marc Bouyer et
Jean-Pierre Duviols, p. 119
23Ibid. p. 221
24Sur la nudité des Amérindiens, voir Litalien, Raymonde, Jean-François Palomino et Denis Vaugeois, La mesure d’un
continent : atlas historique de l’Amérique du Nord, 1492-1814, p. 61
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
25
Lorsqu’il puise dans une relation de voyage une
anecdote de l’ordre du fantastique, il s’empresse
systématiquement d’en mettre en doute la
véracité30. Celles de Champlain, dont Hondius est
contemporain, sont relativement fidèles. Il les
dessine comme les créatures familières qu’elles
sont au navigateur chevronné. Mais il s’agit là
d’exceptions. Depuis le Xe siècle, au moins, des
monstres diversement fantaisistes figurent sur les
cartes marines31. Spécialiste de la question, Chet Van
Duzer examine plusieurs théories sur cette présence
fabuleuse. Une des plus séduisantes soutient
que, tout comme la carte dévoile un territoire
inconnu, la représentation d’êtres surnaturels
offre à l’observateur une vue sur des merveilles
de la Création habituellement dissimulée dans les
profondeurs océanes32. Cette fonction de révélateur
des merveilles du monde atteint son apogée en 1539
dans la Carta Marina du Suédois Olaus Magnus, dont
les nombreux monstres, non seulement représentés
avec soin mais également décrits textuellement,
tels que, par exemple, le rhinocéros de mer, l’arbre
à canards ou le kraken, sont la source d’inspiration
principale des ornements animaliers de Gérard
Mercator. Sur son globe de 1541, au-dessus du
cartouche, Mercator copie de Magnus cette même
créature chevaline qu’on peut contempler dans une
version dépouillée sur la présente carte de Hondius,
nageant au large du Pérou. Aussi étonnant que
cela puisse paraître, il s’agit de la représentation
conventionnelle à l’époque du cachalot33, auquel la
mâchoire et les dents ont peut-être valu ce portrait
équin34. Hondius l’accompagne d’une baleine à la
Magnus dans l’Atlantique Sud ainsi que d’un autre
cétacé plus naturaliste en plein Pacifique. Ces
créatures fantastiques se raréfieront au point de
s’éteindre presque complètement au crépuscule
du XVIIe, en une fin de Crétacé cartographique.
Bry, tiré cette fois du Voyage en Virginie (1590).
Quant au canoé situé au Sud du continent, il est
tiré d’une gravure du huguenot intitulée Hollandi
in Freto Magellanico25. Les deux embarcations ont
en commun de témoigner d’un savoir-faire qui
semble avoir fait forte impression sur Hondius. En
effet, selon de Bry26, les Amérindiens de Virginie
emploient une méthode ingénieuse pour la
construction de leurs barques. Ne disposant pas
d’outils métalliques, ils raclent l’écorce d’un tronc
d’arbre à l’aide de coquillages puis le creusent
en y allumant un feu soigneusement contrôlé27. «
Construit avec du feu » écrit Hondius dans la légende
associée au canoé, « le feu exulte », insiste-t-il sous
la barque. Il est particulièrement intéressant ici de
constater la sélection effectuée par Hondius parmi
les gravures de de Bry. Alors que les oeuvres du
Français abondent en scènes de guerre, torture,
cannibalisme et autres violences, le Flamand a
choisi de reproduire une minorité d’illustrations
documentant un artisanat proprement amérindien.
Il est tentant de voir dans ce choix la reconnaissance
d’une industrie originale, jusqu’alors inconnue, par
un graveur et cartographe se considérant lui-même,
avant tout, comme un habile et minutieux artisan.
Des monstres en voie d’extinction
Les poissons volants, également tirés de de Bry28,
côtoient dans les eaux des créatures encore
plus étonnantes : des monstres marins. Hondius
est un des derniers grands cartographes à en
représenter. Force est de constater que ce ne sont
pas les ornements pour lesquels il a cherché
à atteindre le plus haut degré de finition29. Il
semble se conformer à l’usage du temps sans
grande conviction. De manière générale, dans son
atlas, Hondius fait preuve d’un esprit incrédule.
25Bry, Théodore de, [Grands voyages : Americae. IXe partie], p. XXII
26Qui se base sur le témoignage de Thomas Harriot, A Briefe and True Report of the Newfoundland of Virginia, 1588
27Bry, Théodore de, Le théâtre du Nouveau Monde : les grands voyages de Théodore de Bry présenté par Marc Bouyer et
Jean-Pierre Duviols, p. 143-144
28Ibid. p. 203
29La bête qui ressemble à un requin-marteau, au large de la Californie, est tout juste ébauchée.
30Par exemple au sujet de la présence de licornes (probablement des narvals) au Groenland : Mercator, Gerard, Atlas,
ou représentation du monde universel et des parties d’icelui, faicte en tables et descriptions très amples et exactes, divisé
en deux tomes, vol. 1, p. 73.
31Notons que la majorité des cartes est exempte de ces monstres.
32Van Duzer, Chet, Sea monsters on medieval and renaissance maps, p. 12
33Nigg, Joseph, Sea monsters : a voyage around the world’s most beguiling map, p. 70
34Notons que la confusion est d’autant plus grande que Mercator assimile le cachalot à l’hippopotame.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
26
également fournir des modèles d’illustrations
pittoresques et instructives pour les ornements.
Bien que l’atlas mentionne que les habitants du pays
soient « pour la plupart Chrestiens »36, Hondius a
choisi de représenter un Inuit, peuple dont il dépeint
l’apparence et les moeurs sans le nommer. Son intérêt
pour l’artisanat autochtone se manifeste à nouveau
à propos des kayaks, dont l’auteur n’emploie
pas le nom non plus mais qu’il juge pertinent de
décrire comme de « petits Essquifs faicts de cuirs de
bestes qui ont la peau espesse, lesquels ne craignent
l’agitation de Mer ni le heurtement des Rochers »37
et dans lesquels « un homme seul peut se seoir »38.
Un navire venu d’Orient
Ayant séjourné en Angleterre de 1584 à 1593,
Jodocus Hondius a navigué à au moins deux reprises
dans sa vie mais certainement guère plus. Son oeuvre,
en revanche, témoigne d’une passion pour l’aventure
maritime. Londonien puis Amstellodamois, il a eu
mainte fois l’occasion de contempler des bateaux
et se plait à en représenter dans ses travaux. Sur
sa carte intitulée Vera totius expeditionis nauticæ:
descriptio D. Franc. Draci (vers 1595) dont un
superbe exemplaire coloré est conservé à la Library
of Congress39, il consacre le carton central au Golden
Hind, le célèbre galion de Francis Drake. Peu de
vaisseaux ont connu une notoriété suffisante pour
être immortalisés sur des cartes géographiques40.
Les bateaux y apparaissent généralement de
manière plus générique. C’est le cas sur America où
ces cinq petits galions aux voiles gonflées faisant
route dans des directions différentes rappellent
aux amateurs d’atlas que les océans sont parcourus
par d’audacieux explorateurs qui reviendront
en Europe porteurs d’informations nouvelles.
Si, sur America, Hondius modèle ses galions sur les
canons en vigueur en son temps, il s’est autorisé
une forte touche d’originalité avec la mystérieuse
Un kayakiste adroit
Settle, Dionyse, De Martini Forbisseri angli navigatione
in regiones occidentis et septentrionis narratio historica,
ex gallico sermone in latinum translata per D. Joan. Tho.
Freigium, p. 124-125
Le personnage manoeuvrant un kayak entre Terre-
Neuve et l’Irlande est un Groenlandais. Sous l’image,
Hondius a introduit une légende dans laquelle il
précise que, sur ce type d’embarcation, l’homme
ne rame que d’une seule main, ce qui lui permet
de lancer son curieux trident sur les oiseaux de
l’autre. Le cartographe a à peine esquissé la cible
du chasseur qu’il serait difficile d’identifier comme
un oiseau sans la légende et l’original de cette scène
de chasse. Ce dernier se trouve dans De Martini
Forbisseri angli navigatione in regiones occidentis et
septentrionis narratio historica de Dionyse Settle35,
un ouvrage consacré aux expéditions de Frobisher
paru en anglais en 1577. Les récits de voyage sont
une source d’information géographique de premier
ordre pour les cartographes de cabinet. L’exemple
de ce Groenlandais confirme qu’ils peuvent
35Settle, Dionyse, De Martini Forbisseri angli navigatione in regiones occidentis et septentrionis narratio historica, ex
gallico sermone in latinum translata per D. Joan. Tho. Freigium, p. 124-125
36Mercator, Gerard, Atlas, ou représentation du monde universel et des parties d'icelui, faicte en tables et descriptions
très amples et exactes, divisé en deux tomes, vol. 1, p. 73
37Ibid.
38Ibid. p. 76
39Hondius, Jodocus, Vera totius expeditionis nauticæ : descriptio D. Franc. Draci, [ca. 1595]
40Reinhartz, Dennis, The art of the map : an illustrated history of map elements and embellishments, p. 46
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
27
Jodocus Hondius est un habile compilateur. En
bon cartographe de cabinet, il s’appuie sur des
sources riches et variées au sein desquelles il
opère une sélection de l’information en vertu de
ce qui lui apparait le plus digne de foi. Le choix de
ses ornements semble résulter du même principe.
Hondius se documente solidement ; il reproduit et
n’invente pas. Les illustrations dont il embellit ses
cartes témoignent du rationalisme en marche à
l’aube du siècle de Descartes et Newton. L’ingéniosité
humaine est mise en valeur, les animaux sont
représentés avec naturel. Quant aux monstres
marins, issus d’une tradition qui commence à dater,
ils perdent l’outrance qui les caractérisait chez
Magnus ou Mercator ; ils s’estompent du décor,
ne conservant plus qu’une fonction symbolique.
Hondius ne s’enchante pas de contes fantastiques,
il trouve dans le monde tel qu’il se dévoile à
ses yeux de savant matière à émerveillement.
embarcation mouillant près de l’entrée du Détroit
d’Anian. La légende latine de cette illustration
spécifie qu’il s’agit d’un « navire de guerre tissé
de bois de roseau, en provenance du Japon, qui
jette l’ancre ». Ce type de bateau exotique sert
plus souvent d’ornement aux cartes de l’archipel
nippon et est rarement exécuté avec un tel niveau
de détail : on distingue l’entrelacs de roseaux
sur la coque, les motifs sur la voile ainsi que
quelques marins s’activant sur le pont. Hondius
a équilibré la disposition de ses illustrations en
gravant un sujet qui avait sa faveur, un navire,
dont l’origine orientale opère comme une
réminiscence : au-delà de l’Amérique, par-delà
l’océan, se trouve l’Asie, si secrète et désirable.
Un pas de plus vers la science
S’agissant des données proprement géographiques,
Hondius, Jodocus, America, Amsterodami, Cloppenburgy, 1613 ou 1616, (G/3290/1613/H65 CAR).
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
28
Bry, Théodore de, Le théâtre du Nouveau Monde : les grands
voyages de Théodore de Bry présenté par Marc Bouyer
et Jean-Pierre Duviols, Paris, Gallimard, 1992, 227 p.
Burden, Philip D., The mapping of North America
: list of printed maps, 1511-1670, Rickmansworth,
H e r t s , R a l e i g h P u b l i c a t i o n s , 1 9 9 6 , 2 v o l .
Dickenson, Victoria, Drawn from life: science and
art in the portrayal of the New World, Toronto,
University of Toronto Press, 1998, 320 p.
Fernàndez de Oviedo, Gonzalo, Ouiedo de la natural
hystoria de las Indias, Toledo, a costas del autor,
1526, 101 p. Num. Biblioteca Digital Hispànica
George, Wilma B., Animals and maps, Berkeley,
U n ive r s i t y o f C a l i fo r n i a P re s s , 1 9 6 9 , 2 3 5 p .
Hockey, Thomas, et al., The biographical encyclopedia
of astronomers, New York, Springer, 2007, 1348 p.
Hondius, Jodocus, America, Amsterodami,
Cloppenburgy, 1613 ou 1616, (G/3290/1613/H65 CAR).
Hondius, Jodocus, Vera totius expeditionis nauticæ:
descriptio D. Franc. Draci, [Amsterdam?], I. Hondius, [ca.
1595], (G3201.S12 1595 .H6). Num. Library of Congress
Kanas, Nick, Star maps: history, artistry, and
cartography, New York, Springer, 2013, 528 p.
Litalien, Raymonde, Jean-François Palomino et Denis
Vaugeois, La mesure d’un continent : atlas historique
de l’Amérique du Nord, 1492-1814, Sillery, Éditions du
Septentrion, avec la collaboration de BAnQ, 2007, 298 p.
Mercator, Gerard, Atlas, ou représentation du monde
universel et des parties d’icelui, faicte en tables et
descriptions très amples et exactes, divisé en deux tomes,
Amsterdam, H. Hondius, 1633, 2 vol. Num. Gallica
Nigg, Joseph, Sea monsters : a voyage around the
world’s most beguiling map, Chicago, London,
U n i v e r s i t y o f C h i c a g o P r e s s , 2 0 1 3 , 1 6 0 p .
Palomino, Jean-François, Le point de vue fascinant de
Mercator, in À rayons ouverts, n. 93 automne 2013, p. 32-33
Reinhartz, Denni s , The art of the map : an
i l l u s t r a ted hi s t o r y o f map el e m e n t s a n d
embellishments, New York, Sterling, 2012, 218 p.
Van Duzer, Chet, Sea monsters on medieval and
renaissance maps, London, British Library, 2013, 144 p.
Woodward, David, et al., The history of cartography,
Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1987, 3 vol.
Sources
Collections patrimoniales de BAnQ
Bry, Théodore de, Brevis narratio eorum quæ in Florida
Americæ provi[n]cia Gallis acciderunt : secunda in
illam navigatione, duce Renato de Laudonniere classis
praefecto: anno MDLXIIII, quae est secunda pars
Americae, additae figurae & incolarum eicones ibidem
ad vivu[m] expressae; brevis item declaratio religionis,
rituum, vivendique ratione ipsorum / auctore Iacobo Le
Moyne, cui cognomen de Morgues, Laudon[n]ierum in
ea navigatione sequnto. Nunc primum Gallico sermone
à Theodore de Bry Leodiense in lucem edita: Latio verò
donata a C.C.A. [Carolo Clusio Atrebatensi]. Cum gratia
& privil. Caes. Maiest. ad quadriennium, Francoforti
ad Moenum, Typis Ioa[n]nis Wecheli, sumtibus vero
Theodori de Bry, venales reperiu[n]ur in officina
Sigismundi Feirabe[n]dii, 1591, 42 p. (RES AB 80).
Bry, Théodore de, [Grands voyages : Americae. IXe partie],
Francofurti : Excudebat Matthoeus Beckerus, 1602,
(973.1 B84gr S RES F)
Champlain, Samuel de, Carte geographique de la Nouvelle
Franse faictte par le Sieur de Champlain Saint Tongois
cappitaine ordinaire pour le Roy en la marine, Paris, Chez
Jean Berjon, 1613, (971.012 C453vq2 1285234). Num.
Mercator, Gerardus, L’atlas de Gerard Marcator : de
nouveau reveu, toutes les cartes corrigez et en outre
augm. d’un appendix par Josse Hondius, Amsterodami,
Cloppenburgy, 1630, (912 M553ath 1630 BMRB).
Mercator, Gerardus, Atlas or a geographicke description
of the world, Amsterdam, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd,
1968, Fac-similé de l’éd. de 1636, (G 1015 M47 1968 CAR).
Mercator, Gerardus, Septentrionalium terrarum
descriptio per Gerardum Mercatorem, Amsterdam,
Hondius, 1628, (G 3270 1628 M47 CAR). Num.
Thevet, André, Les Singularitez de la France antarctique
autrement nommée Amerique & de plusieurs terres &
isles decouvertes de notre temps, Paris, Chez les heritiers
de Maurice de la Porte, 1557, 166 p. (RES AD 170)
Settle, Dionyse, De Martini Forbisseri angli navigatione
in regiones occidentis et septentrionis narratio
historica, ex gallico sermone in latinum translata
per D. Joan. Tho. Freigium, Noribergae, in officina
imprimebatur, Catharinae Gerlachin, et haeredum
Iohannis Montani, 1580, 88 p. (970.5 S495de BMRA)
Autres sources consultées
Belon, Pierre, L’histoire naturelle des estranges poissons
marins, avec la vraie peincture et description du
daulphin, et de plusieurs autres de son espèce, Paris,
impr. de R. Chaudière, 1551, 58 p. Num. Gallica
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
29
REVIEWS
Edited by Sarah Simpkin
Atlas Obscura: an explorer’s guide to the
world’s hidden wonders
Reviewed by Rebecca Bartlett
Foer, Joshua, Morton, Ella and Thuras, Dylan. Atlas
Obscura: an explorer’s guide to the world’s
hidden wonders. Workman Publishing Company,
2016. 480p. $35.00 US. ISBN 978-0761169086.
Atlas Obscura is not an atlas in the traditional sense
but, as described in the introduction, “a cabinet of
curiosities.” The content is derived from the website
http://www.atlasobscura.com, which was founded
in 2009 by Foer and Thuras and currently includes
thousands of locations across the globe contributed
by a community of users. This book contains more
than 600 of those sites organized by continent and
country.
With perhaps two dozen maps found throughout
its nearly-500 pages – including one entitled Lake
Monsters of the USA (p. 368) – this is not the
kind of atlas normally found in a post-secondary
academic collection. Furthermore, due to the
crowdsourced nature of the material, while the
authors have made efforts to ensure accuracy there
is no real authority or expertise at play. However,
the purpose of this book is not academic but “meant
to inspire wonderlust as much as wanderlust”
(Introduction). Atlas Obscura is a book to pore over
and meander through, discovering in the process
that there are an astonishing number of preserved
human body parts on view around the world.
In large part due to its organization by geography
and including navigational tips to many of the sights,
Atlas Obscura functions primarily as a travel guide to
bizarre, macabre, natural, and cultural wonders the
world over. Each entry is described in a paragraph
or two, and along with the expected alphabetical
index of locations there is also a special index
organized into themes including giant holes, self-built
castles dangerous paths, and mummies and bones.
Of particular interest is the Globe Museum in Vienna,
which displays over 650 globes (p.24). While this
book may not have a natural place in an academic
library and its content (and more) can be found on
the corresponding website, it is an entertainingly-written
book that provides a glimpse into the myriad
oddities and marvels found around the world.
Rebecca Bartlett
GIS and Digital Resources Librarian
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario
Atlas of Design, Volume Three
Reviewed by Rhys Stevens
Matthews, Sam V. and Elmer, Martin E.
(Ed s . ) . Atlas of Design, Volume Three.
Milwaukee, WI: North American Cartographic
Information Society, 2016. 98p. $35.00 US.
Prepare to spend several hours poring over
the fascinating assortment of maps included
in the Atlas of Design, Volume Three. This hard-bound
atlas contains 32 separate maps selected
from amongst hundreds of entries by a team of
North American Cartographic Information Society
(NACIS) editors “…to spread a variety of the top
mapmakers’ ideas about what it means to make a
good map, and inspire others to follow their lead.”
The maps appearing in the atlas primarily originate
from either the United States or Europe and are
extraordinarily different from one another. Included
are maps that have incorporated caricatures,
illustrations, 3-D bird’s eye views, landscape imagery,
transportation routes, infographics and numerous
other visualization techniques. There are maps
drawn entirely by hand as well as those that have
been digitally-produced using the latest cartographic
software. In addition, there are maps of underground
worlds (cave systems in Kentucky), mythological
creatures (monsters appearing in the folklore of the
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
30
United States), socio-political events (lives lost in the
Mediterranean Sea of those fleeing conflicts in North
Africa), and even antiquarian-style topographic maps
of planets in our solar system (Mars). What unifies the
volume is that each of the maps chosen for inclusion
are extremely effective in communicating visual
stories about the universe in which we live.
Every map in the atlas is shown in its entirety but
at a reduced scale as page dimensions are 12 in. X 9
in. Quality and colour of the reproduced images are
excellent. There are also additional enlargements of
specific sections of each map which serve to illustrate
interesting map features. One-page summaries
containing author commentary accompany all
maps in the atlas. They provide general insight
into the creative processes involved in the map
development and focus on design decisions by
authors in their choice of underlying map data
and cartographic techniques. Details concerning
specific technologies and software applications
used to create the maps are typically not included.
A handful of these summaries include hyperlinks
that direct readers to digital versions of the map
or websites providing background details. Despite
readers possibly recognizing certain maps that have
circulated on social networking sites (e.g., “The
Magnificent Bears of the Glorious Nation of Finland”
by Annukka Mäkijärvi), the variety of maps and
included author insights distinguish this collection
from what can be located for free on the WWW.
In summary, the Atlas of Design, Volume Three is a
recommended resource for college/university library
collections. Students and faculty members are sure
to find creative inspiration from these interesting
examples of amazingly well designed maps.
Rhys Stevens
Librarian III
University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, Alberta
Making Sense in Geography and Environmental
Sciences: A Student’s Guide to Research and
Writing
Reviewed by Julie Jones
Northey, Margot, Draper, Dianne and Knight, David
B. Making Sense in Geography and Environmental
Sciences: A Student’s Guide to Research and
Writing. Sixth Edition. Don Mills: Oxford University
Press, 2015. 328p. $24.95. ISBN 978-0199010226.
The Making Sense series of books is devoted to
guiding students through academic research and
writing. Both general and subject-specific volumes
are available, with new editions published every few
years in an effort to keep things current. I wish I had
been aware of this series as an undergraduate and
perhaps especially as a graduate student (when my
lack of general academic literacy and struggles with
the skill that is academic writing became painfully
obvious). I did not have a firm understanding of the
processes at play in academia and, looking back,
I see that this knowledge was never really taught
to me, yet it was assumed that I would possess
it. There was a profound gap between what my
professors assumed I knew (and so did not teach)
and what I actually knew. Working with students
these days, I see that this conundrum persists for
many if not most of them. As such, the subject
of this review, the volume of this series aimed at
students in Geography and Environmental Studies,
is a book I frequently refer to during instructional
sessions. While its chapter on library resources
and research has some major problems, which I
will discuss, it is in general a fantastic resource
that helps address the gap between what faculty
assume students know and what they actually know.
Extremely accessible yet incredibly thorough, this
book demystifies and guides students through
academic skills such as writing essays, research
papers, and lab reports; preparing for tests and exams;
the mechanics of academic writing (and thinking!);
creating presentations and research posters; the
research process; documenting sources; and even
surviving group work. All these important skills are
of course highly transferable, as the authors assert
on page 19: “The contents of this book, then, are not
just suggestions to help you think, organize, research,
and present findings for academic course work:
they are also aids to learning skills that will be
important later, in whatever field(s) of endeavor
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
31
fact that articles are sometimes available for a fee
on publishers’ websites is. Open access sources
and publishing are not discussed anywhere. This
chapter was desperately in need of an update
when the fifth edition of this book was published
in 2012 and it is tremendously disappointing
that an update did not happen – this chapter
remains virtually unchanged in the 2015 edition.
Maps are dealt with in the book, both as a source
to use in research (Chapter 2 – “Searching and
Researching”) and as a format that students of
geography may want to use to communicate and
explore their research (Chapter 12 – “Illustrating
your Work”). The information and guidance here is
fairly up to date and clear, with a good discussion
of GIS and why maps matter in Chapter 12. Missing
from the discussion is the importance of citing
the datasets that are used to create a map using
a GIS. In the Chapter 2 discussion of maps as
sources, air photos, atlases, and satellite images are
highlighted, but geospatial data beyond that are not
mentioned. Both of these omissions again highlight
the fact that involving a librarian in this project
may have been valuable and enhanced this book.
Though it has some problems, this book provides
a good overview of the thinking, research, and
writing process in Geography and Environmental
Sciences. I do not hesitate to recommend it to
students, with the caveat that the chapter on
library resources is out of date. Undergraduate
and graduate students will find this book useful, as
will subject librarians new to these subject areas.
Julie Jones
GIS & Map Librarian, Librarian for Geography
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, BC
Oxford Atlas of the World, Twenty-third Edition
Reviewed by Tracy Sallaway
Oxford Atlas of the World, Twenty-third
Edition. New York: Oxford University Press,
2016. 448p. $89.95 US. ISBN 978-0-19-063428-5.
Self-described as ‘a serious and authoritative work’ and
you eventually find yourself.” Written by Canadian
academics (Northey is the former dean of the School
of Business at Queen’s, Draper is a Geography
professor at the University of Calgary, and Knight is a
former Geography professor at Carleton University),
the book’s tone, objectives, and examples will not
alienate readers in Canadian higher education;
they will feel that the book has been written for
them. The chapters on how to write various types
of information (notes, reports, essays, proposals,
research papers, theses, lab reports, field work
writing, and exams) and on the mechanics of
writing (“Writing with Style”, “Grammar and Usage”,
“Punctuation”, and “Misused Words and Phrases”)
are excellent and really break things down in a way
that students at all levels will appreciate. So much of
the battle with academic writing is getting past the
general anxiety that it can provoke and getting to a
place of deconstructing it into concrete steps and
thought processes. This book facilitates just that.
Where the book has some problems (problems that
I always am sure to mention to students) is in the
chapter that covers library resources – Chapter
2, “Searching and Researching”. This chapter is
outdated and is sorely in need of a librarian being
brought in as a project partner (either as a consultant
or co-author). The chapter demonstrates a lack of
understanding of contemporary academic libraries
and their resources, especially databases. There
are no mentions of online research guides —only
“disciplinary fact sheets” (those print relics of
yesteryear that have long since evolved into online
research guides). In the section on journals, there
is no discussion of the importance of licensed
databases for searching across journals and a lack
of understanding of library online subscriptions and
how they make article access possible. The authors
actually suggest shelf browsing print journals and
their annual indexes, which of course will lead to
students failing to connect with massive amounts
of the most current literature. The authors seem
rather unaware that main way indexes like Web of
Science, EconLit, and MEDLINE are now accessed
as online databases when they state, “Your library
may have on its shelves…” before listing these and
other indexes. Interlibrary loan is never mentioned
with respect to journal article access, though the
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
32
‘one of the finest atlases in the world’ (p. 2), the Oxford
Atlas of the World has garnered extensive recognition
as a highly valued and respected reference source.
Now in its twenty-third edition, the atlas is developed
and published annually by Oxford University Press, a
division of Oxford University. Its purpose is to provide
a current and comprehensive view of the world, and
this edition does not disappoint. Teeming with current
world statistics, descriptive text, stunning imagery,
and effective data visualizations, this atlas contains
a tremendous amount of information regarding the
physical and political state of the world and factually
addresses some of the most pressing issues currently
affecting humanity and the natural environment.
The atlas is divided into a number of sections,
ranging in format from basic statistical tables to
topical sections that provide fascinating data and
visualizations related to the physical, political, and
economic characteristics of the world. A section
entitled The Future of the Oceans and Seas provides
a brief but fascinating overview of the ocean’s
characteristics and the important ecological functions
they perform, followed by a discussion of how these
functions are being drastically altered through the
effects of human activity and consumption such as
overfishing, resource extraction, oil spills, and plastic.
I found the factual and unbiased presentation of
facts to be a refreshing change in lieu of politically
motivated or impassioned discussions of these issues.
An 18-page section entitled World Imagery follows,
displaying aerial views of select urban centres
around the globe including London, St. Petersburg,
Dubai, Melbourne, and Montréal, among others.
The imagery is derived from Landsat-8 satellite
data and is absolutely stunning in detail and clarity.
The Gazetteer of Nations provides a succinct and
admirably thorough summary for every nation
of the world, providing background and context
related to indigenous peoples and important
political, social and economic events throughout
the nation’s history. Additional information includes
national flag swatches and key maps highlighting
the country’s geographical location in context. I
found this particular section to be highly informative
and extremely useful for quick reference work;
the text is concise and to the point, and packs a
tremendous amount of information into a small space.
World Geography touches on fascinating topics ranging
from the formation of the universe, geology, climate,
biodiversity, the human family, global conflicts, and
standard of living to name only a few. Interspersed
with the narrative are effective, well-designed
visualizations including maps, charts, graphs, and
imagery that serve to illustrate and support each
topic. Descriptions are concise, readable, and
appealing to a wide audience; the section discussing
the formation of our universe and solar system has
sparked a number of lively discussions with our six
year-old, who has spent far more time with this atlas
than I could have imagined. The visualizations here
are particularly effective in starkly illustrating the
imbalance of wealth and power around the globe.
World Cities introduces the cartographic portion
of the atlas and is devoted entirely to cartographic
representations of 70 large urban centres throughout
the world. A distinctiveness can be seen in these
maps; the streets of Moscow and Central Delhi
radiating outwards like spokes in a wheel; bridges
spanning the Danube to connect the two distinct
communities of Budapest; the sinuous chaos of Central
Jerusalem; and the organized grids of Manhattan
and downtown Toronto. The subsequent section
entitled World Maps presents small-scale physical
and political maps for each continent followed by
a collection of larger-scale outputs displaying the
most notable and densely populated areas organized
from north to south in a clockwise sequence.
The cartography here is of extremely high quality,
meticulously designed and detailed with the end user
in mind. Projections are mainly conical, azimuthal
or cylindrical and have been selected to minimize
distortion of size and distance. The subtle use of
hillshading, described as a trademark of Philips’
cartography, provides the viewer with an impression
of the landscape’s topography without detracting
from or competing with other map elements. Our
six year-old casually pointed out a mountain range
without a second thought which, for me, served to
prove the effectiveness of the technique beyond any
doubt. These maps have been meticulously plotted
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
33
and prepared down to the finest detail, and it shows
in the results; they are visually pleasing, easily
navigable, and highly informative.
The organization of this atlas serves to ensure that
users are able to navigate its contents and locate
information with ease. The geographical glossary and
index are well-organized and provide both English
and Indigenous location names in common usage.
I found it equally pleasurable to use as a reference
source for locating particular features and places or
as a volume for perusing at leisure. I would highly
recommend this atlas both as a reference work
(particularly if your library has invested in previous
editions), and as an excellent addition to your own
reference collection. After spending a number of
hours with this edition, I am eagerly anticipating
the next release of the Oxford Atlas of the World
to discover its coverage of the significant world
events that have occurred since its last publication.
Tracy Sallaway
GIS and Data Support Specialist, Maps, Data &
Government Information Centre
Trent University
Peterborough, Ontario
From the Reviews Editor:
Thanks to those who submitted book reviews and to all who have expressed interest in reviewing! I’ll continue to
request review copies from publishers - but please let me know if you have read a book of interest to the ACMLA and
would like to submit a review, and if you have any suggestions for titles/sources. Here are the review guidelines:
Review Format
1. Bibliographic Citation
This should include: author, title, edition, place of publication, publisher, date, number of pages, price (if known) and
ISBN. Example:
Bussey, Ben and Spudis, Paul D. The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2004. 316p. $80.00 US. ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
2. Content
The review should describe and critically evaluate the work. Typical review elements include: scope, purpose and content
of the work; intended audience; writing style; background and authority of the author; how the work compares with other
titles on the same subject; its usefulness as a research tool; any unique features; and its suitability for library collections.
The length of the review is at the reviewer’s discretion, but should normally reflect the importance of the work. A
typical review is about 500 words.
3. Your name, title, institutional affiliation, city and province/state
Editorial Policy
Opinions expressed in reviews are those of the reviewer, not of the ACMLA. The Reviews Editor may make minor
edits, without communicating with the reviewer. Should the Editor determine that a major revision is required, she
will contact the reviewer for discussion.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
34
REGIONAL NEWS
Compiled by Tomasz Mrozewski
The Edmonton Map Society has held two meetings
since our last report. Our Fall meeting was on
December 1, 2016. John Horrigan discussed two
previously unrecorded, manuscript maps from the
estate of the late Capt. William Gibson. The first,
THE WATER COMPANIES[,] ROYAL ENGINEERS[,]
WORK IN EGYPT & PALESTINE, 1917 - 1919, is
a campaign map of the Water Company’s work,
including maintenance of the essential Suez water
pipeline. The pipeline enabled the British to advance
to Gaza and supplied them while they struggled
to take the city. The map also includes key water
infrastructure maintained by the WC throughout
Palestine. A second, untitled map shows the plan of
a divisional base believed to be located near Sarona.
This area played an important role in the creation
and administration of both the Palestine Mandate
and the new state of Israel. Very little (if any) work
on the Water Companies has been done. Drawing
on their unpublished War Diaries and a boon of
recently published works, Mr. Horrigan summarized
his research to date and attempted t to contextualize
the maps within the larger events of the war.
Joseph Patrouch discussed his researches on
“The Imagined Landscapes of the Holy Roman
Empire in 1570 as portrayed in Abraham Ortelius’
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum: (A Work in Progress).”
Our Winter meeting was on March 9, 2017. Frank
Tough presented: “Little is known of the interior:
The application of historical cartography to
determine the Crown’s effective control over the
Métis of the Île-à-la Crosse region, Saskatchewan.”
In the landmark Métis rights case, R. v. Powley, the
Supreme Court of Canada employed the concept
of effective control to determine the temporal
benchmark for ascertaining if particular practices
(e.g., hunting) were integral to a Métis way of life.
If practices and activities that were integral to a
Métis way life were not explicitly extinguished by
the Crown prior to 1982, then such practices and
activities are protected constitutionally as Métis
Aboriginal Rights. The determination of the date of
effective control is an empirical problem requiring
detailed historical and geographical research.
Several interrelated activities indicate the Crown or
state’s ability to establish effective control. However,
and often overlooked by legalists, exploration and
mapping activities (where things were) and changes
to property rights (regulations concerning land
use and ownership) are important benchmarks of
the state’s presence in an “unknown” region. With
respect to the contemporary need to clarify Métis
Aboriginal Rights, this analysis will focus on the use of
historical cartographic sources to demonstrate how
the Crown’s spatial knowledge of the Île-à-la Crosse
region indicates the extent of its effective control.
Kisha Supernant presented “Mapping Metis Mobility?
Using GIS to Map Archaeological Landscapes in
the Canadian West.” Relationships between artifact
assemblages and cultural identities are complex and
difficult to disentangle. The Canadian west during the
1800s provides an interesting historical, cartographic,
and archaeological case study that has potential to shed
light on the dynamics of settlement, material culture, and
the mobile nature of Métis peoples. While the historical
record of the Metis is reasonably well-understood,
the archaeological record of the Metis has received
less attention. In this presentation, Kisha provided
an overview of her recent research on the practice of
Metis overwintering in in Alberta and Saskatchewan,
exploring the connections between the archaeological
record and Metis identity. She discussed the ways she
uses GIS-based analyses and mapping techniques to
examine the ways in which we might try to make sense
of the complex geographies, kinship networks, and
identities of the Metis in the 19th century and today.
Alberta
Edmonton Map Society
David Jones
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
35
Ontario
Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) Geo Community
Amber Leahey
OCUL Historical Topographic Map Digitization
The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) Geo Community, is pleased to announce the release of
over 1000 early topographic maps of Ontario, now available from an interactive website http://ocul.on.ca/
topomaps.
With funding from the OCUL regional library consortia, the Geo Community collaborated to digitize,
georeference, create metadata for, and develop an interactive online website and navigation tool in the
Scholars GeoPortal, which allows any and all users to find and access these historically significant maps.
The maps, which are now comprehensively inventoried, are part of the early National Topographic
Map series at the 1:63360 and 1:25000 map scales. The maps, which span the period of 1906 to 1977,
provide a historical reference for towns and cities across Ontario, and allow users to explore changes
over time to human and natural environments. This digital collection represents the single most
comprehensive set of Ontario topographic maps from these early series to be made available online.
Map display and zoom feature
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
36
Open access from the Scholars GeoPortal
The OCUL Historical Topographic Map Digitization
Project contributors will be seeking feedback about
the project and evaluating next steps at the upcoming
Association of Map Libraries and Archives (ACMLA),
Carto Conference, to be held in Vancouver, B.C.
For more information contact the project team at
topomaps@scholarsportal.info.
University of Waterloo
Eva Dodsworth
This term, the Geospatial Centre has had a lot
of reference requests from non-typical student
and faculty groups. The Intact Centre of Climate
Adaptation (ICCA) has been working hard with
our reference staff, acquiring data and helping
them with their analysis needs. Students from the
Masters of Practitioners Studies program have
asked for customized GIS workshops on the topic of
Climate Change. Students from Earth Sciences have
returned this term inquiring about additional data.
Due to specific inquiries, the Geospatial Centre has
acquired quite a bit of new data, like Halton Region,
Mississauga, and SWOOP 2m DEM 2015. We have
also created an Ontario waste water treatment sites
data, by geocoding addresses points. There has also
been a lot of interest in historical census data, so we
have put our students on the task of transcribing
attributes from older microfilm into Excel. We hope
to reveal this project in the upcoming months. We
continue to have fun with ArcGIS Online StoryMaps
and other templates, and have recently completed
another project showcasing our historical air photos:
Kitchener-Waterloo 1955 to present: https://
uwaterloo.ca/library/geospatial/collections/
digital-projects/kitchener-waterloo-1955-present
Individual Story Maps:
• Dundas 1851 and Today: http://arcg.is/2jRscUm
• Galt 1867 and Today: http://arcg.is/2jR7u7c
• Ottawa 1911 and Today: http://arcg.is/2jRvLKn
• Toronto 1857 and Today: http://arcg.is/2jRaAbw
• Toronto 1888 and Today: http://arcg.is/2jRs5bv
• Toronto 1912 and Today: http://arcg.is/2jRt8s7
This year, Markus and I will be attending the URISA
Inter-Mountain GIS conference in West Yellowstone,
Montana, so sadly we will be missing the ACMLA
conference.
From the Editor:
This is Tomasz Mrozewski’s last Regional News
issue, as he will be taking over the Geospatial
Data and Software Reviews column. Thank
you Tomasz for your continued contribution!
I would like to introduce Marilyn Andrews, from
the University of Reginal Library, who will be taking
over Regional News effective Spring/Summer issue.
Please welcome Marilyn to the ACMLA Bulletin and
help her with her new role by contributing your
news-worthy items! Marilyn can be reach at:
Marilyn Andrews
Data Librarian and Geography Liaison Librarian
University of Regina Library
University of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2
marilyn.andrews@uregina.ca
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
37
NEW MAPS
Compiled by Cheryl Woods
Canada Raised Relief Map
Scale: 1:1,500,000
Publisher: Hubbard
Year of Publication: [2016]
Canada Fast Track road map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Saskatchewan Fast Track road map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
South Central Ontario Back road map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Toronto Downtown Explorer map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2017
Alberta, Saskatchewan road map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
British Columbia, Alberta road map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Manitoba Back Roads map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Vancouver Island road map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge Fast Track road
map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Moncton street map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Aurora, Newmarket street map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Barrie, Orillia street map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Rive-Sud de Montreal street map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Cottage Country Back road map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
The World Specialty map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
Ottawa, Gatineau Fast Track road map
Scale: NA
Publisher: MapArt/CCC Maps
Year of Publication: 2016
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
38
Afghanistan – with Kabul & 5 Cities
Scale: 1:2,000,000
Publisher: Gizi Map
Year of Publication: 2017
Iran
Scale: 1:2,000,000
Publisher: Gizi Map
Year of Publication: 2017
Kyrgyztan
Scale: 1:750,000
Publisher: Gizi Map
Year of Publication: 2017
Thailand
Scale: 1:1,500,000
Publisher: Nelles Verlag
Year of Publication: 2017
Tanzania-Rwanda-Burundi
Scale: 1:1,500,000
Publisher: Nelles Verlag
Year of Publication: 2017
Philippines-Manila
Scale: 1:1,500,000/1:17,500
Publisher: Nelles Verlag
Year of Publication: 2017
Malaysia West-Singapore
Scale: 1:1,500,000/1:15,000
Publisher: Nelles Verlag
Year of Publication: 2017
Brazil: Amazon
Scale: 1:2,500,000
Publisher: Nelles Verlag
Year of Publication: 2017
Bangkok, Greater Bangkok
Scale: 1:15,000/1:75,000
Publisher: Nelles Verlag
Year of Publication: 2017
Collins Pocket Map London
Scale: 1:12,500
Publisher: Collins
Year of Publication: 2017
Collins Scotland Road Map
Scale: 1:550,000
Publisher: Collins
Year of Publication: 2017
Collins France Road Map
Scale: NA
Publisher: Collins
Year of Publication: 2017
Collins Touring Map Ireland
Scale: NA
Publisher: Collins
Year of Publication: 2017
Collins World wall map
Scale: 1:22,000,000
Publisher: Collins
Year of Publication: 2017
Spain, Portugal
Scale: 1:1,000,000
Publisher: Michelin
Year of Publication: 2017
Italy
Scale: 1:1,000,000
Publisher: Michelin
Year of Publication: 2017
Saint Martin
Scale: 1:15,000
Publisher: Kasprowski Publisher
Year of Publication: 2017
Île Maurice / Mauritius
Scale: 1:85,000
Publisher: IGN
Year of Publication: 2016
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
39
GEOSPATIAL DATA AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Edited by Andrew Nicholson
Ontario Open Data
Reviewed by Andrew Nicholson
Coordinator of GIS and Research Data Services, University of Toronto Mississauga
Description and Metadata
The Province of Ontario has been making some
of its datasets “open” from late 2013 as part of
its “Open Government” initiative. In early 2014,
the province accelerated open data efforts with
the launch of an open data voting process for the
public, and the subsequent publishing of over
175 datasets under an open licence. 2016 saw
further enhancements with the announcement
of the Ontario Open Data Directive from the
government making it so that the “default”
treatment of government data would be open.
The release of the Open Data Directive also
corresponded with the release of over 500
government datasets into the “open” realm.
The Ontario Open Data Directive can be found
here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-open-
data-directive
In March 2017, when one visits the Ontario
“Data Catalogue” you will find over 2,200
listings of provincial data, however on the
left side of the screen there are a number
of filtering options including “Status”. From
here the user will discover that only 25%
of the 2200 datasets are truly “open”, with
8% slated to be “opened”, and 24% marked
“Restricted”. Curiously, 953 datasets have
been tagged with a “Under review” status.
Of those datasets that are actually “open’, it
is worth noting that many of these datasets
were actually already available on individual
m i n i s t r y we b s i te s . S u c h f i l e s c o n s i s t
primarily of agricultural, transportation,
and geology based spatial datasets including
among others Farmers Market locations, HOV
lanes, and the “Built Boundary for Greater
Golden Horseshoe”.
When trying to see what geospatial files were
listed under the other statuses, no results
appear so it is difficult to determine even what
data is under review or what is set to become
opened at a future date.
The other non-geospatial data listings include
Adoption, and Labour statistics, birth and death
registrations, cultural events, and general police
and crime counts.
Currency and Formats
The Ontario Data Catalogue offers up data in
a variety of formats. Thankfully, the Catalogue
includes strictly data files that can be easily
used, reused, manipulated, and crafted into
other products. No PDF documents are included
unlike in other government open data catalogues.
For the GIS user, Ontario open data files include
KML, KMZ files, and SHP. The vast majority
of open data files are not surprisingly in CSV
or Excel format. Frustratingly, this user also
noticed many files using a ZIP extension, which
was not the most helpful for describing the
contents and potential usability of the files
inside.
In terms of currency of the data, most files
appeared to be from 2006 to 2012. Hampering
the usefulness of the catalogue though is the
fact that files do not indicate a date on the initial
ACMLA Bulletin Number 155, Winter 2017
40
summary listing, but only do so, once you click
on the title to see the full metadata record.
Licensing
For Ontario data that is listed as “open”,
the province has made it available using
a “Open Government Licence” allowing
anyone to “copy, modify, publish, translate,
adapt, distribute or otherwise use the
information in any medium, mode or
format for any lawful purpose” as long
as they “acknowledge the source of the
Information” with an attribution statement.
More information about the license can
be found here: https://www.ontario.ca/
page/open-government-licence-ontario
For Data catalogue items that are not
“open”, metadata descriptions are provided
along with a Status update. For “restricted”
data, a rationale is provided informing
the user why this dataset is not “open”.
In browsing some of the restricted
data, the most common explanations as
why this data is restricted seems to be
confidentiality with names included in the
data, or the licenses of other data providers
involved, such as Statistics Canada.
Conclusion
Unlike other provinces such as British
Columbia and Manitoba, and even
municipalities such as Vancouver and
Toronto, Ontario appears to be wading
cautiously into the sea of ‘open data’ with
so many datasets still “restricted” or “under
review”. Nevertheless, some data is better
than no data, and its open data directive is
certainly a breath of fresh air after restricting
access to datasets for many years. Lets hope
they continue to develop this catalogue
and make more data available in future.
From the editor:
This is Andrew Nicholson’s last Geospatial Data
and Software Reviews column. On behalf of the
Bulletin staff team, I’d like to thank Andrew for all
of his years contributing to the ACMLA Bulletin.
I would like to announce that Tomasz Mrozewski,
Laurentian University, is replacing Andrew as
Geospatial Data and Software Reviews editor. You
will find his column in the next issue of the Bulletin -
Spring/Summer issue.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 155, hiver 2017
41
GIS TRENDS
Barbara Znamirowski
bznamirowski@trentu.ca
COMMUNICATING DATA
Introduction
As technologies advance and create new opportunities
for data sharing and visualization, approaches
to scholarly communication adjust and evolve.
“Data publishing” as a distinct form of scholarly
communication represents an exciting development
for academic communities. Effective data stewardship
rests at the core of communicating data, whether in
spatial or in other formats. Library communities
play a vital role in establ
